Today we present the last two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. As usual, we received a big rush of entries in the past week. Some of these will be rolled over into the judging for Round 43. The prizes for Round 42 include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 is ending but Round 43 begins tomorrow (October 1st), so please start writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Let’s face it.  When we get to point that you can’t call out, use a computer, or find a stop light that is working, our stash of stored food will eventually become depleted.  We will all become more and more dependent on local produce.  Even if food is available for purchase, many people will want to grow some of their own.  For most of us, growing our own fruits and vegetables in an efficient manner will be a challenge.  How successful we are in gardening will very much depend on our individual knowledge and skills.  If you have never gardened, be aware that there is lot more to it than just planting seeds and harvesting. 

Basically, all of our gardening goals will be much the same --  to grow large quantities of fruits and vegetables that are packed with minerals for good nutrition.  When fruits and vegetables are high in minerals, we call it “nutrient-dense.”  Depending on the way a fruit or vegetable is grown, its mineral content can easily vary as much as 100 percent.   It’s the minerals we are after.   In fact, we don’t need to eat as much food if it is nutrient-dense to get the same benefit.  Gardening in ways to get nutrient-dense food is therefore a move to greater efficiency.  This is especially critical when gardening in restricted spaces.

This article is about the concepts and techniques for growing nutrient-dense produce.  It’s for beginning and experienced gardeners.   After more than 50 years of gardening experience and extensive training, I offer what I know to be the critical factors for growing nutrient-dense produce in an efficient manner.

If at all possible, I urge you to get started now with growing your own food.  Don’t wait until there is an emergency at hand.  Start small, develop a gardening community, make it an adventure, and enjoy it.  Bonding with Mother Nature serves us all well. 

Choosing the Fruits and Vegetables you will Grow 

We know that there are differences in nutritional value among the many fruit and vegetable choices that we have available to grow and consume.   That is simply the nature of the individual species.  Beans, corn, melons, broccoli, etc. are not alike in nutritional value.  It’s important that we eat a variety of foods to get a full complement of minerals.

Before you begin learning and using techniques for growing nutrient-dense produce, recognize that your selection of what you can grow is dependent on your geographic location.   Summer and winter temperatures,  length of growing season, winter chilling requirements, basic soil types,  and other factors, all influence what you can grow.  Especially if you are new at gardening, it is wise to see what is available at local Farmer’s Markets and visit with long-time local gardeners and farmers before deciding what to grow and when to plant.

The aim of this article is to help you get the most minerals/nutrients possible into whatever crops you are growing.  The more nutrients you get in all your produce, the more efficient is your gardening effort.  Besides the efficiency issue, we need to understand that the more nutrition we have in our produce, the healthier will be all the consumers.  This concept applies to your livestock and pets, as well as to people. 

Basic  Gardening Considerations

First, plan and grow mainly the amount of produce that you will actually eat fresh and store.  The exception to this is growing crops that you are using for sale, sharing, and/or for bartering.  Under “survival” conditions, produce will be in short supply, at premium prices, and a tradable commodity.  Many people will have limited gardening space, so plan, plan, plan.  Although garlic is a wonderful, easy-to-grow crop in many ways, it’s not likely you will eat several pounds of garlic each day.   On the other hand, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash might very well be a main-stay item that is eaten several times a week.  They are relatively easy to grow and can be stored for many months.  Deciding how much of each to grow will become easier, as you get gardening experience. 

For health reasons you will want to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, but be a bit cautious of trying to grow too many things.  Each crop has unique germination, transplanting, watering, and other maintenance requirements, and until you are experienced, management of a garden with 30 to 40 varieties can seem overwhelming.   Start small and grow into the more complex garden.

Everyone will not have a site for growing a garden.  If you have an big area that requires more work than you can do by yourself, consider asking others to join you in the endeavor.  Choose carefully, only those who are willing to do hard physical work under all kinds of conditions and throughout the year.  Everyone involved needs to feel “full ownership” in the project.  Work together from the beginning in planning, and in defining individual work and financial responsibilities.

Second, grow crops that store well.  Some fruits and vegetables will store fresh under the correct conditions.  Many crops can be canned, frozen, dried, or fermented and will safely last at least a year.  In areas where you can grow a spring, summer, and fall garden, it is not difficult to have a supply of produce that will last for a year or more.  Weather disasters may severely limit what you can produce in any single year.  Put considerable emphasis on drying your fruits and vegetables.  When done properly most dried produce will last for several years.  Excellent home-size, fruit and vegetable driers are available.  Under certain climatic conditions, sun drying can be used and is advised.

If you don’t know the nutritional value of the different fruits and vegetables, your best choice is to grow and eat a big variety.  Think in terms of growing and eating leafy greens (like kale, spinach, and lettuce); common vegetables (like peas, beans, tomatoes, and okra); root crops (like potatoes, beets, carrots, and turnips), and dried seeds (like the beans and grains) -- perhaps some of each every day.  A wide variety of  crops will help you in getting a broader array of minerals/nutrients.  Of course fresh produce is best, but it may not always be available.

Third, plan for year-around gardening.  While year-around gardening is relatively simple in the south, as you move north, it requires different season-extension techniques.  These techniques are available, and it is wise to become familiar with them, and be prepared to implement them when needed. Under severe “survival” conditions, growing your own vegetables may be a necessity.  Eliot Coleman’s book, Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Garden All Year Long, offers excellent advise on this topic for backyard gardeners.

Techniques for Growing Nutrient-Dense Produce 

The bottom line -- it is the soil that primarily determines the nutrient-density of fruits and vegetables.  Weather, including rainfall, is important, but the soil must be healthy if it is to perform its primary functions.   A healthy soil functions effectively in water infiltration and storage, digestion of organic matter, recycling of nutrients, and feeding the plants the needed water and nutrients.  Healthy soils must also contain major and trace minerals at the proper levels.  The techniques that help the soil fulfill these functions are explained in the 7 steps listed below.   John Jeavon’s book, How To Grow More Vegetables, is an excellent source for details on gardening (growing soil) in a sustainable manner.

If you follow these 7 steps, you will be on your way to more successful gardening.  You will be able to measure your success by growing produce with improved, intense flavors.  If you grow nutrient-dense produce, you will taste the difference.  Some folks say, “It’s like I remember vegetables tasting from my grandmother’s garden.”  I actually use a refractometer to get an index of sugar/mineral content of my fruits and vegetables, so I can monitor progress, and adjust fertilization of the garden accordingly.   The refractometer reading is called the Brix value.  Ideal Brix values vary with the individual fruit or vegetable.  See www.highbrixgardens.com for information on helping to improve your health by growing high quality produce.

1.  Select the Best Garden Site Possible.   Most people won’t have a lot of options on this, but as a rule, go with the area with the most sun.  Stay back away from the drip line of trees and find the area with the deepest top soil and fewest stones.  If the site is entirely shaded, you might have to sacrifice some trees for the sake of food production.  Ideally, you also want an area that has not had pesticides and chemical fertilizers applied in the past.

Use non-contiguous areas.  The garden can be a single plot or many small plots.  Produce can be grown right up next to buildings.   Consider replacing shrubbery with annuals and/or perennials that provide a source of food.   Some berries and vegetables, figs, and many herbs will do just fine around the periphery of buildings.

Everyone will not start out with high quality soil.  In some cases, you may need to bring in  topsoil to build up the garden.  Try to get the best topsoil possible.   While  this may seem like a very work-intensive or expensive approach, if you really have to grow most of your own food, it could turn out to be a real life-saver activity.  

2.  Use a No-Till or Minimum-Till Approach to Produce a Living Soil.   No-till makes sense from the viewpoint of reducing energy costs, but more importantly,  no-till is best for improving the soil and increasing productivity.   As a general guideline, apply the concept that all gardening activities should result in protecting and improving the soil.  Soil quality determines the productivity and nutritional quality of your produce.

Tilling can reduce the biological activity in the soil.  Soil quality depends on many factors, but on the top of the list is the soil biological activity.  Beneficial bacteria, fungi, earthworms, etc. are the organisms that are continuously digesting and relocating organic matter.  Without this workforce of micro-organisms, the soil becomes dead.  Dead soils are the result of applying toxins (chemical fertilizers and pesticides), but can be converted to healthy soils over time.   Though expediency often drives gardeners to adopt the chemical approach, it should be avoided at all cost.   Stay with the organic approach for the sake of the soil and your health. 

Tilling can negatively impact the physical properties of the soil by destroying the soil structure.   Good soil structure implies individual soil components of sand, silt and clay are held together with the natural glues secreted by soil microbes.  These soils are not subject to erosion and they have good tilth, meaning they are easily worked, and have the capacity to hold water.   

3.  Grow Diverse Crops.   Growing many different species of plants, over time and space, increases the number and varieties of soil microbial populations and is an insurance program against disease and pest problems.   Sugars, made from the diversity of plants, are released from plant roots into the soil.  In the soil, the sugars serve as food for soil microbes, which in turn decompose organic matter into nutrients that support plant growth.  It is the way the natural soil development process works. 

As part of this practice, try to rotate crops as much as possible.  Although there are crop rotation patterns in commercial agriculture, just think in terms of not growing the same vegetable in the same place year after year.  Depending on your geographic location, you may have 4 different crops on the same bed within a year. That may include a cover crop (generally a non-vegetable)designed only for improving the soil.  Cover crops (e.g. oats, Austrian winter peas, buckwheat, clover, and rye) should be an essential part of the rotation system.   The cover crops that are classified as legumes have the ability to “fix” nitrogen on the plant roots in the soil.  This can be sufficient nitrogen for the year.  Always keep a cover crop on the garden over the winter. 

4.  Grow Crops Throughout the Year.   For a healthy soil you need to be continuously feeding the soil microbes, primarily by growing plants that are providing live roots that freely exude sugars.  Providing plenty of sugars means easily accessible food for soil microbes and a plethora of benefits for plant growth.  Maintaining a suitable habitat for the myriad of soil food web creatures (the microbes) is the key in suitable soil development.  One teaspoon of healthy soil can easily contain more individual microbes than there are people on earth.  It is so clear: we need to be gentle and kind to the soil, and the soil will be good to us.  

5.  Keep the Soil Covered.  I like to tell visitors to my garden that what they can not see, is the most important aspect of my garden.  It’s my precious soil.  A garden where the soil is covered by growing plants and/or their residues is very likely a garden as nature intended.   Soil covers protect the soil aggregates from beatings by the rain, suppress weeds, keep the soil cool and moist, and promote soil microbial activity.  How can it get any better than that?

The five practices listed above are aimed at maximizing the physical and biological activity in the soil.  In essence, they are speeding up the natural soil development processes and will lead to  healthy soils, healthy plants, healthy produce and healthy consumers.   These are steps that take little or no input from outside the garden area.  While not entirely free, they are low-cost gardening techniques, that move us in the direction of being sustainable gardeners.  

6.  Mineral and Nutrient management.   Beyond the five steps described above, one major topic in gardening remains.  It’s that of adding supplements to the garden.  The kind and amount of supplements to add will depend primarily on the original rock material (e.g. sandstone, limestone, etc) and past uses.  

The degree to which you address this topic will depend on resources available.  Here are a list of things to do, all which will likely lead to improved nutrient density in your produce. 

**  Make and use compost.   Collect organic matter from the kitchen vegetable refuse, garden area, and other sites and make compost for use on the garden.  Use the compost sparingly and wisely.  Don’t use excessive amounts of compost.  Too much compost can lead to higher than needed nitrogen levels in the soil, excess nitrates in the produce, and encouragement of insects.  It’s not likely that the compost will increase minerals to the point of being in excess.  Four to five percent organic matter in the soil is sufficient.  Once at that level, and assuming you are following the five steps above, 20 to 40 gallons of compost per hundred square feet per year may be sufficient to maintain the desired nutrient level.   Bear in mind that compost derived from garden plants will be similar in nutrients to what is in the soil.

**  Increase the diversity of bacteria and fungi in your garden.  If you have some adjacent prairie and/or woodlands, collect some soil/humus from it and add it to your compost pile and/or sprinkle it directly on your garden.  This is simply an insurance program to add microbial diversity to your garden.  Natural environments will likely have new, desirable microbial species that will be helpful in the garden.   You can also find bacterial and fungal inoculants available for sale from many sources.

**  Add mined and minimally processed rock and organic minerals.  Determining what to add, and how much, goes beyond what we can specify here.  In short, this is the place for contacting a laboratory that specializes in making recommendations for organic gardeners.  There is some room for your own garden diagnostics, but only if you know the plant symptoms for deficiencies for the various nutrients.   Materials like alfalfa meal, soft rock phosphate, lime, kelp, wood ashes, epsom salts, borax, and many others may help to correct mineral shortages, but do not add them until you have some indication they are needed.  It is possible to have excess minerals in the soil system. 

Some other options can also be helpful. 

**  Raised beds are an optional, but very useful technique.  In essence, it means developing beds that are 8 to 12 inches higher than the adjacent walkway.  I use four-foot beds and two-foot walkways.  I recommend that you do not use any sideboards.  Unless you use treated material or expensive redwood, wood sideboards will rot or succumb to termites in a few years.  One exception  -- if you have a garden plot on a steep slope, sideboards on the downhill side might be needed to prevent erosion.

Raised beds have several advantages.  They drain more quickly after heavy rains and they warm up faster in the spring.  Early and more timely plantings are critical to maximizing production and nutritional quality.   As a rule, raised beds have better aeration, which promotes better microbial acuity and increased growth. 

**  Double-digging is the process of loosening the soil to a depth of 16 to 24 inches, depending on specific soil conditions.   In short, the top layer of soil is removed, a little compost is added, the lower layer is then loosened, and finally the top layer is replaced.  The top layer of the pathway is then added to the bed.  This process creates raised beds.

Double-dug beds are better aerated, more biologically active, and promote deeper plant root penetration.  All this translates into increased production and better nutritional quality. 

**  Use heirloom seeds and save seeds.  Heirloom seeds exist for all of the major garden crops.  Once you have them, take the extra effort to save seeds or vegetative starts for subsequent years.  The fruits and vegetables from the heirlooms will generally be more nutrient dense.   Work with neighbors and friends and plan for sharing seeds.  Also, consider a more general cooperative garden sharing plan.   Use the knowledge of all involved.  

Summary   

If you read this article and have the impression that all gardening techniques and processes are interrelated, then you have it read it correctly.  Everything you do in the garden and all the growing processes are all tied together.  It is the way nature has designed the system.  That may be disconcerting to you as you try to understand what is happening in your garden.  Or it may be troubling as you try to  prioritize your gardening activities.  Do not become overwhelmed with understanding all the interconnections.  Just remember that the interconnections serve as a safety or buffering system or insurance program for how your plants grow and survive.  Nature’s system is designed so that life might continue.  

When we use techniques to protect and promote that natural system, we are harmony with nature and more closely within reach of our objective of producing nutrient-dense produce.  That goal is good for us as individuals and good for us a world full of people, everyone looking or sadly  hoping for three meals a day.   Following the 7 techniques above is a good place for all of us to begin.   Work diligently, maintain patience, share with others, keep an open/positive mind and you will be blessed.  

Imagine a market place in your back yard for fresh homegrown fish, herbs, fruits and vegetables.  Best part of this is that you grew it and know what’s in it.  No pesticides or unwanted hormones and additives.  Plus the market is open 24/7.

My Hawaii Experience 
Living on an island  and having everything shipped into it makes for the worst case disaster when mother nature or human nature turns bad.  From total communications failure to coastal ports devastation, Hawaii would suffer the worst of all the states in the shortest amount of time.  A large population on island Oahu would mean all meaningful supplies would be consumed in two weeks.  If nothing else the multi-cultural mix of the islands make-up may prolong the inhumanity a month. After no resupply of goods and fuel, then the insanity begins.  But when it comes down to family needs, your best friend may become your competitor for what you may have.

Water is not far away, but clean water can still be a problem.  I have water filters for the times when questionable sources are the only available supply.  Drought in Hawaii, you betcha.  Clean water source can at time be hard to find.  Water storage is a must, but to be prepared to find renewable resources will be very challenging.  Would  be great to have a miniature desalinization plant in a box for these times.  The only alternatives will be the tried and proven, moisture capture, filters and sterilization tablets.
Climate is predictable.  Constant 80 degrees, plus or minus 10 degrees throughout the year and depending on your island location.
Aquaponics, Barrelponics, etc. by any other name is an easy low cost way to supplement your survival box of tools.
Simply put, fish excrements gets pumped out to the grow beds to fertilize the plants.  The plants convert the waste to nutrients and  the water is returned to the fish tank cleaned of the toxins.
The Aquaponics ebb and flow or constant flow systems (NFT) provide more nutrients and water to the plants than if the plants were in the ground.  But then again, you have to have a “usable” water supply.  Rain barrel collection probably the only alternative.
Ground pest are minimized.
Normal maintenance if you had an aquarium and an in-ground garden.  Feed the fish and watch for abnormal conditions to the fish and the water (pH, ammonia,etc.).  Keep the grow beds clean (no weeds in this system), remove algae build-up, pest removal and elimination with non-lethal methods (vinegar/water solution) minimally sprayed under leaves.

My Systems 1:
1 – 110 gallon tank for fish ( 20 Tilapias – Blue and Red)
4 – Grow beds 2’x3’x8” on plastic tables and PVC piping
1 – 150 gal/hr water pump
1 – Fluval 60 air pump single with 4 way gang-valve
My System 2: (under construction – 70% complete)
2 – 55 gallon barrels for fish, on concrete molded stands
4 – halved barrels for grow beds, wood stand and PVC piping
1 – Stellar 60 dual outlet
I covered the fish tank to reduce sunlight to energize algae growth.
Know your fish and plantings, expand your knowledge on fish and plant life cycles, nutrients and pest.
Disadvantages are growth time and clean water availability.  Also when it gets time to cull the fish, don’t  names them.  You can get so familiar with the fishes that killing them to eat can be hard to do.  Reproduction is the real issue, do you have the know-how to create generations.
But great a hobby turn necessity, and a good stress release when tending the fish and garden.  Makes you appreciate all the farmers out there making a living.
I have planted tomatoes (roma and beef), egg plant, green onions, basil, taro, Stevia (Sweet Herb), zucchini, lettuce, bok-choy, and oregano.
 
Fish food – Silver Cup pellets, green leaves from the garden, duckweed
 
So start now, grow in stages for continuous supply. 
Organize a group to share knowledge and food.  Like minds breed success.
Knowledge can go a very long way.  So boot up your computer and start your searching through all the great web sites that offer information on everything Survival. 
Books are great, but I prefer scanning all the things of interest specific to what I need to know and cut out as much wording as possible.  Start now and don’t stop looking up things of interest on a continuing basis.  Print all interesting pages for later referral.  Once the Internet is gone and the grid goes down, it’s too late.  Your specific library of knowledge will serve you right until the world gets back to order.
Other must additions to your survival box of tools:
Heating sources are definitely a must.  Strike and chemical fires starters, like matches and lighter have a finite life, so I like lenses and a hand or bow drill.
Parabolic metal pots and mirrors.  This is a great idea, buy mosaic mirror tiles (or if you are not superstitious, break a mirror) and glue the pieces to a Wok pot.  You can focus the suns rays to heat pots of anything.
Add live protein sources to your backyard of ducks, chickens and rabbits.  Work on this one.  You got to deal with the neighbors, predators and city ordinates for this one to work.
Add Rain barrels to your water supply (don’t forget filters and screens).  Run-off from the roof sounds good, beware contamination hazards from bird poop and just stuff landing on it. 
Jack of All Trades should be you mantra from now on.  Be a general knowledge sponge on all things.  If you know of or come upon someone that is a specialist, stop to watch what they do.  You never will know when a situation will arise and you’ll recall how you can apply what you saw.
Alcohol is a great item to have for sterilizing, medicating and trading.  Stock up and don’t drink it.
Buy a generator to meet your needs and store gas in containers (rotate them).
I have a motorcycle.  You may want to have a small one, 175cc.  Getting around quickly and in all terrains will save time and help carrying items long distances.  Unless you can get animal of burden.  But as the gas supplies dwindles, there may be items from the bike that you can use.
Stock up on canned goods and rotate there use.  Remember when the electrical grid goes out and then your generator, you’ll have to eat everything in the freezer and refrigerator first.  Cook as much as you can to prolong the ability to eat them.
Get a good book on natural ways to deal with medical emergencies.  Local plants and common man-made products can substitute for the usual meds.  Unfortunately, if you have a need for prescription drugs, then stock up knowing there is a shelf-life.  I’m sorry if you are dependent on them for you life.
Solar panels that you own or others may have on their roofs, can benefit your needs for renewable energy.  Read and learn how to utilize this option.
Abandoned cars and trucks have unlimited uses.  From gas, batteries, glass, bendable metals and tires.  Be inventive and anything can be used.
Add a Worm bin to compost all you vegetable waste.  The worm liquid and casing are great fertilizers.  I guess if it gets really lean, you could eat them, but the fish would appreciate them more.

Get a weapon.  It’ll serve you well.  Home and personal defense and hunting.  Gun(s), knives bow and arrows.  Gun – at least a handgun (I like a revolver), shotgun and rifle.  I prefer reloading and some bought ammo.  But any tool or household implement has a dual purpose. 
Get to know your neighborhood.  Walk around during the day and the night.  Get to know where the watch dogs live, which homes have fences and security.  Look for fruit trees.  Wave to all the people you meet,  a familiar face is more excepting than a stranger when you need help or advise. Become a scavenger and walk around your neighborhood.  Look for sites that you might use to replenish usable resources (water, food, energy).  It may be sad and depressing to watch your neighbors and friends died, but the opportunity for you to live on on their leftovers can not be overly emphasized.  Realize that your compassion will have a limit.  Discuss this with you love ones.
Get a loyal friend, guard and a weapon, get and dog.  Worth its weight in food and your servicing.  When you can stock up extra bags of kibble, do it and rotate them as you use them.  Secure you home.  Realize that this is your castle, work towards making it so.
My wife and friends thinks I’m nuts.  But better safe than sorry.  If the worst happens, I’m ready.  If it doesn’t happen, then we have a great supplement to the grocery list.
Bottom line, be creative and use your common sense, sounds a lot like Survival 101. 

I wanted to make a couple of clarifications to Emma C.'s article on fabric choices in survival clothing, specifically with regards to wool. As a full-time Shepherdess of more than 100 heritage breed sheep, my experience in handling and processing wool runs deep. 

It was written that (with regard to socks), Wool does take more care than other fabrics in that it should be washed in cold water and lay flat to dry. While that statement is mostly accurate in general fabric care, there are primarily two things that can permanently change (i.e. shrinkage or felting) wool fabrics: agitation (washing/scrubbing) and temperature.

Washing of traditional woolen items must utilize as little agitation as possible while cleansing. Intense scrubbing will simply cause your wool item to felt.  The soaking method is preferred whenever possible using a mild, easy rinsing type soap. Gently squeezing out excess water by folding the item in half is ideal. Larger items such as pants or sweaters can be folded multiple times, pressing firmly to release the water. Never wring or twist wet wool as you may end up with a hopelessly misshapen garment. When you wash wool, it is the temperature of the water for BOTH wash and rinse that affects wool.  You can wash your wool in hot water, if so desired, but you must also rinse the item in hot water to avoid shrinkage. It is in the variation of the water temperature that causes your wool treasures to shrink so drastically. If you wash in hot, rinse in hot; wash in warm, rinse in warm and so forth. Consistency throughout the cleansing process is key.

While cold wash/cold rinse is generally deemed the rule of choice when washing wool but it is not something set in stone. I personally prefer the hot water method, especially when cleaning my wool. Hot water kills germs and is much safer on the fibers themselves than using chemical disinfectants. Most smartwool blends have already been 'pre-shrunk' and are much less likely to be affected by water temperature or agitation. I have multiple pairs of these socks that go into the washer and dryer routinely with no effect on the end product. I could go on about the many benefits and uses of wool, perhaps another time. God certainly knew what He was doing when creating the sheep!

Thank you for such an informative blog. Blessings! - C.A.T.

Hello there!
I stumbled upon your writing on the Internet, and would like to ask for your advice.
 
I am looking for a handgun for my girlfriend. Primarily for self defense. She wants one, but has never fired a weapon. My main concern is recoil. I was infantry in the Army for six years and have hunted for most of my life, so I have quite a bit of experience with weapons. I do admit that I am not that familiar with civilian models, so if you could recommend some or have any suggestions it would be appreciated. 
 
Thank you for your time, and I hope you have a good day. - J.P.R.

JWR Replies: See SurvivalBlog's archives. They are fully searchable.  For example, you can search on "handgun and selection" in the search box.

In my opinion, the best thing to do is first teach her the firearms safety rules and gently instruct her with with a .22 autopistol. Once she has mastered the basics like sight picture and trigger control, then take your girlfriend to an indoor range that rents handguns and have her try out several models. See what feels comfortable to her.  Get the most powerful caliber that she can handle in rapid, aimed fire. Depending on her tolerance for recoil and her upper body strength, that will likely be a 9mm, a .40 S&W or a .45 ACP. Buy the gun of her choice, and then get her lots of training.

The newer "SF" (small frame) Glocks are quite comfortable.  (The grips are less bulky that on the pre-SF models.) The .40 S&W Glock Model 22-SF or Model 23-SF are a good compromise for those who are too recoil shy to enjoy shooting .45 ACP. The Springfield Armory XD40 would be a comparable choice.

Eric Sprott talks precious metals on Squawk Box. Toward the end, he is asked about physical preparedness. Eric says: "Prudence is very much warranted." (Thanks to SurvivalBlog's G.G. for the link.)

Faber Warns “Everything Will Collapse”

G.G. sent this: USPS Prepares for Second Default in Two Months

Bram suggested some good monetary analysis by Charles Hugh Smith: Why QE Won't Create Inflation Quite as Expected

Items from The Economatrix:

The Truth About The Fiscal Cliff

New Home Sales Dip, But Prices Hit 5-Year High

Dr. Gary North:  Five Mainstream Economists Sound A Warning

Europe Is Now In A Completely Unmanageable Situation

Download, print, fire: gun rights initiative harnesses 3D technology

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Alternatives To A Bugout Location - What You Should Consider

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The Most Often Forgotten Survival Preparations

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G.K. in western Washington mentioned yet another reason to avoid social media sites.

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Here are links to a couple of my recent radio interviews: EMPAct Radio and Time Monk Radio. (The latter is more than two hours long.)

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." - John 10:11-18 (KJV)

This is the birthday of Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises (1881 - 1973.) The many resources at the Ludwig von Mises Institute web site are worth exploring.

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Today we present another entry for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

The queue for Round 42 is full but Round 43 begins on October 1st, so please start writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

This is for those who have asked for more details on the release of my latest novel "Founders", particularly about the audio book and ebook:

The audio book edition of "Founders" was narrated by Phil Gigante. He is a former Shakespearean actor and an Audie award-winner with a great voice.

The cover artwork for Founders was done by Tony Mauro Jr., who is best known for his movie posters. He did a fantastic job of capturing the atmosphere of Ken & Terry Layton's trek.

Introduction, Scale

I think you will agree that you will get the highest returns from your preparation investments when you make those decisions based on the relative likelihood of a range of SHTF scenarios.  Unfortunately, the probability of many SHTF situations is very hard to determine, and will end up being a judgment call.  However, there is some information out there on the likelihood of certain events that qualify as SHTF.  This information allows us to at least calibrate our judgment calls on the likelihood of certain events, enabling us to refine our gut feelings. In doing so, we will look at a wide range of potential events, which would run the gamut of being the victim of a crime to the potential for a worldwide astrophysical cataclysm.  The scale of a potential SHTF event obviously has an impact on the probability, and in ways that might not be intuitively obvious, but will at least give us some sort of basis for a planning-level judgment. 

Personal SHTF Events
As shown in Table 1, based on crime statistics from calendar 2010, the probability of your being the victim of any crime is about 3.3%, and the probability of becoming a victim of a violent crime is about 0.4%.  On average, in the USA, your chances of being murdered is less than 5 thousandths of a percent.

Compare this to other personal SHTF events, shown in Table 2.  Note you are a little over four times more likely to become a crime victim than you are to die from any cause in any given year.  You are more likely to die of an accident than you are to be raped and/or murdered.   If you go to Yellowstone, you are five times more likely to be attacked by a bear than you are to be hit by lightning while you are there.

I took some flak for my last essay in SurvivalBlog for suggesting that Unlawful LEO Activity, or Police Misconduct, was something to actively consider as a threat.  First of all, I am biased in favor of law enforcement in nearly all respects – I have nothing to prove to anyone in that regard.  That said, the probability of your being involved in an event in which you become an alleged victim of police misconduct is about one-half of the probability of your being murdered, based on statistics compiled by the Cato Institute.  If you are a law enforcement officer, the probability of your being involved in an incident in which police misconduct is alleged against you is a less than one percent.

Keep in mind that these are averages and for the USA only, and rates will vary dramatically by geographic locations, and would also be highly dependent upon behavior and the situations in effect at the time.  Even though overall crimes rates have been falling, and fell in 2010 as compared to 2009, the crime rates, including violent crime, in those cities with the highest rates, actually increased, resulting in a substantial and increasing variability by location. For instance, it was reported this summer that the murder rate in Chicago – at about 19 per 100,000 population (or 15/100,000 depending on the source) - is presently four times that of New York City and twice that of Los Angeles.  Depending on where you are, what time it is, and what you are doing, the probability of your becoming a murder victim in Chicago might even be higher than that.

Local variations are significant.  In 2010, the average murder rate in Los Angeles County was 6.28 per 100,000 population, about 30% more than the average for the nation as a whole.  Within Los Angeles County, the murder rate for Compton was 25.92, and the murder rate in Inglewood was 18.24.  By contrast, the murder rate in San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley, was 1.4, and that for the New Orleans area was 20.

That might seem pretty high, but the murder rate in Caracas, Venezuela recently was reported to be as high as 200 per 100,000 population, and apparently 90 percent of those murders go unsolved.  The murder rate in Honduras is over 90, and that of Mexico overall is only 22.  However, the murder rate in the Mexican state of Chihuahua is 111, and that of Ciudad Juarez, in Chihuahua across the Rio Grande from El Paso, was reported to be over 220 in 2010.

Black Swan Natural Disasters
In a very useful 2011 document, the firm of Ernst & Young defined a Black Swan Event as being one that occurs unexpectedly and unpredictably, develops rapidly and lasts for a period of up to several months, are catastrophic in scale and broad in scope, present hazards beyond immediate financial risks (loss of life, health, environmental damage), involve significant asset damage/losses, and require corporate/government resources to resolve.  The document lists 21 such events that have happened in the past 40 years, including such events as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Andrew, the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, the Earthquakes in Haiti and Sichuan, China, and the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.  In going through the literature, I believe that I can come up with another 20+ instances of similar magnitude during the same period, which means that a Black Swan Event is likely to occur somewhere in the world at least once a year. 

The question from your perspective is how likely such an event is to strike in your area, such that it effects you.  That is a question that the insurance industry has been attempting to resolve for many years.  We know that hurricanes like to hang out in the Caribbean, the Southeast United States and along Atlantic Coast.  We know we are overdue for a large earthquake in California.  The chances of the Big One happening in any given year is above 0% but less than 100%, and depending on what you read the probability is either increasing or decreasing every year that it does not happen.

For planning purposes, maybe we should assign a probability of 3% to such an event.  That would be about the same probability as your becoming the victim of a crime of any sort in any given year.  Or would you judge that the likelihood of a Black Swan Natural Disaster that impacts you would be less than 1%, or about the same as the probability of dying from any cause according to the CDC?  Or is it in between, at about 2%, which is the approximate the probability of your being in a traffic accident during any year?

Other Black Swans
Black Swan events can include things such as the “financial meltdown” in 2009.  There are many people who predict that the fiscal and monetary policies being followed by the Federal Reserve, the US Government, and many state governments, made a further and more serious financial crisis a virtual certainty within the next five years. 

I have read some reports that state that the past four years have actually been worse, by certain measures, than the Great Depression.  What if it got worse suddenly?  That could certainly happen, with the wrong combination of tax, fiscal and monetary policy being imposed on our economy.  Would the resulting economic and societal stress, combined with gradual breakdown of infrastructure and government services (roads, signals, water/sewer, police, fire, schools) result in our gradual slide into failed state status?  Would that result in the environment becoming as dangerous to us as Mexico is now, or Chihuahua State, or Ciudad Juarez?  This seems more likely to me than the comet strike, Planet X or zombie epidemic scenario. 

A Wedge of Swans
Black Swans, at least by the Ernst & Young definition, are not TEOTWAWKI events, since we have had them before, and the world still exists, in almost the way we knew it.  However, swans are gregarious birds, and a group of swans can be called a flock, a bevy, a wedge or a team.  I believe that a wedge of Black Swan Events could amount to a TEOTWAWKI event, and that such a combination of blows could be a more likely scenario than some of the others we hear discussed. 

One scenario that I don’t like thinking about would begin with a financially weakened and war-weary United States teetering on the brink of a further financial disaster that had been building for years.  We are then suddenly hit with one or more of the following: a 9/11 scale terrorist attack, a major epidemic, and/or several natural disasters.  If you then throw in a dramatic increase in civil unrest bordering on insurgency, which in turn leads to US Government actions that are seen as unlawful by a significant portion of the population, you have a believable, non-sci-fi, TEOTWAWKI scenario. 

What is the probability of such a combination of events?  In rooting around on the Internet, I find that there is a fairly narrow range of personal predictions from various sources of this type of scenario happening: from 1% to 20% within three to five years.  If this is true, at even the low end of the range of predictions, then we should be just as worried about this as we are about being in a traffic accident, being a victim of a crime, or dying from heart disease.

I should add that I recently had a discussion with someone that I respect who argued that there might be several unique Swan Wedge Combos that have an overall beneficial impact on at least part of the population.  For instance, what if the US was teetering on the brink of a financial disaster, and was suddenly faced with a substantial part of the country that wanted to go its own way – secession – and a war-weary population prevented a Civil War type re-conquest of the seceding states or regions?  It is possible that the seceding areas would be established as lightly governed havens for business and technological innovation, a Libertarian utopia.  Where can we sign up for that?

Black Swan Impacts on the Rates
If we slide into failed state status because of renewed financial crises, or we suffer a Swan Wedge Combo, the way that affects our survivability will manifest itself through dramatic increases in the probabilities of various items shown in Tables 1 and 2 above (even bear attacks).  It is useful to think in terms of everything breaking down to where we are suddenly shoved into Caracas-level risks.

If the murder rate is, on average, increased to about 200 from about 5 (40 times), you might also expect that your chances of dying, from any cause, to increase from about 800 to about 32,000.  In other words, your probability of dying in any given year from any cause would go from less than one percent to about 32 percent – the odds are one in three that you would die. If that were to be the average probability – the middle of the bell curve – think what the ends of the curve would look like: on the one end you would have conditions that are much closer to what we know as normal, on the other you would have absolute slaughter house conditions.

The job of those who are preparing is to push their own situation, and that of their loved ones, towards the “more normal” side of the curve.  If you are preparing yourself physically and financially, then you have a much better chance.

Cataclysms, TEOTWAWKI
The scenarios that are the subject of major motion picture franchises, and memorable novels, belong in this category.  Red Dawn foreign invasions, Terminator singularity and machine-attacks-mankind events, epidemic aftermaths such as The Omega Man and I Am Legend, and others.  The scenarios would include asteroid or comet strikes, diseases, apocalyptic wars, electro-magnetic pulse events (natural or manmade), and other disasters.  In 1984 and Atlas Shrugged, both the movies and the books, the villain is the slow relentless grind of totalitarian government.  What are the odds?  I don’t know, but they are certainly greater than 0% - for one example you can check out NASA’s risk assessments for potential Earth impact events.

Who Cares About the Odds?
Life is full of peril, and it is essential that persons committed to individual responsibility and self-reliance be prepared.  It begins with the things that are most likely to happen to you and your loved ones, and grows out from there. 

If you have made the commitment to defend yourself and your family from crime and possible civil unrest, if you alter your lifestyle to avoid the most common objective hazards such as disease and geographically-focused dangers/crimes, if you take measures to ensure you can survive for a substantial period of time during the most likely Black Swan Events (hurricane, floods, earthquakes), then you are already better prepared than the vast majority of people. 

Progressing from that state of readiness to being able to handle various conceivable Swan Wedge Combos is probably just a matter of scale, and of organization into a community of like-minded souls.  If you have done that, and are lucky, then you will be a survivor if this happens. 

Moving from that stage to a stage of being able to handle a true global cataclysm is probably not a very useful planning task.  If you are lucky enough to survive whatever the opening disaster is in the TEOTWAWKI scenario, and you are already pretty well prepared for a potential Swan Wedge Combo, then you are also probably as well of as you could be for the aftermath.  Good luck to you.

The Author
Despite the state's appalling politics, the author lives peacefully in California.  He is engaged in the business of financing energy and technology firms, and is the acting CEO of a private military contracting firm.  He is also devoted to the personal pursuits of rock climbing, martial arts, and hunting.  Prentice is also the author of Feral, a novel with significant Libertarian overtones, and the short story Purgatory.

References and Suggested Further Reading:

Disaster Center, US Crime Rates 1960 – 2010 (http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm)

Center for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr60/nvsr60_04.pdf)

http://www.goinsurancerates.com/auto-insurance/11-statistics-and-facts-thatll-stop-you-from-driving-uninsured

National Weather Service (http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/medical.htm)

“Yellowstone Bear Attack: What Are The Odds?” by David Knowles

Statistics from Cato Institute’s National Police Misconduct Reporting Project, 2010 Annual Report (http://www.policemisconduct.net/statistics/2010-annual-report/), adjusted to show the “rate” per 100,000 population using 308mm total population and 234mm adult population.  Note that the Cato report shows a total of 4,861 reports of police misconduct, involving 6,613 sworn police officers, and a total of 6,826 alleged victims, out of which there were only 247 fatalities.  The rate of misconduct of 978 is per 100,000 police officers, whereas the two figures above that are the incidence for the population as a whole, in the first case for the average 2010 US population of 308mm, and the second figure for the adult population only.

Used data from NYPD Analysis of active shooters from 1966 through 2010, total of 202 cases in the 44 year period, averaging 3.0 dead and 3.6 wounded per instance, for total casualties to active shooters of 1,333 over the period, during which there was an average population of 252.3mm.

Based on battlefield casualties in Iraq through January, 2007 (http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA518921), based on per 100,000 man-years of battlefield exposure; compares to a KIA rate of 2,231 per 100,000 for Vietnam.

Huffington Post, 16-Jun-12, updated 16-Aug-12 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/16/chicago-homicide-rate-wor_n_1602692.html)

http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/The-Deadliest-Global-City-163874546.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate

https://www.policymap.com/city-crime-rates/los-angeles-crime-statistics/index.html

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/table-6

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/world/americas/23venez.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

http://www.citymayors.com/security/latin-american-murder-cities.html

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ey.com%2FPublication%2FvwLUAssets%2FPrinciples_and_protocols_for_responding_to_unexpected_catastrophic-events%2F%24FILE%2FBlack%2520swan_FINAL.pdf&ei=z2NaUOCpIYfm2QXQ04H4Ag&usg=AFQjCNFuTasXVKu0w95aB_dlWFFM8Tj5jg

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/

Sir:
Anyone who spends any amount of time on survivalist and preparedness oriented forums knows that a certain political worldview is the most commonly encountered perspective, particularly with respect to economic concerns. Particularly in the literary niche that is survivalist/preparedness fiction, the protagonist is often identified as a conservative critic of Keynesian economic thought and favors the gold standard. Very often the plot presupposes a very right-wing political orientation. Matthew Bracken (Enemies Foreign and Domestic), Thomas Sherry (Deep Winter, Shatter), Glen Tate (299 Days), and even James Wesley Rawles (Patriots) all share to some degree this worldview. Some authors even make efforts to settle scores with Democrats and liberals. I enjoyed all those books, and authors certainly have the right to write whatever they want. However, fiction serves a valuable role in outreach and education (not to mention entertainment!), and I think that it may useful to remember that being a card carrying member of the political right is not a requirement to be a survivalist. There is nothing inherently political about wanting to guarantee the health and safety of your family. You don’t need to be a conservative in the Austrian school of economics to want to be prepared.

Government Might Not Help You

Both the Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party protest movements share a common jaundiced eye toward the motives of government. Whether the criticism comes from the right or the left, it is not unreasonable to worry that the most powerful people in this country, or the world, don’t necessarily have your best interests in mind.

There seems to be a perception that rich bankers and the political elite all seem to eventually hold some fraction of their wealth in precious minerals and mountain retreats. Perhaps they have peeled back the curtain and have seen the fragility of modern civilization. Or perhaps it is just prudent for the super wealthy to take some small percent of their vast wealth and put it to work as a hedge against the most extreme of dangers. After all, gold is pretty and so are the mountains of Montana and New Zealand. Either way, whether through special insight or just good planning, many powerful people are preparing for something. That just makes it all the more likely that if a true danger does appear, they have the ability to escape. That mere possibility of escape means that if comes time to navigate through rough seas, the normal captains at the helm may already be lowering their private life rafts.

Even If “They” Have Every Intention Of Preventing Collapse, They May Miscalculate

You don’t even need to be a cynic about government to want to prepare for trouble. Maybe the power brokers and elites that run the country do have the best interest of you in mind. After all, collapse and disorder are not the ideal methods to accumulating wealth and power. It would be far better to own a small slice of an enormous pie than control a larger slice of a shrinking post-collapse society. Even if the people who man the levers of the economy really are evil geniuses, it is probably in their best interest to keep the entire system perpetuating. But even evil geniuses are people, and people make mistakes.

Many survivalists and authors of survivalists worry about the fiat money system and favor the gold or silver standard. It is entirely plausible that the economic growth and innovation of the last 75 years is attributable to having abandoned the gold standard to the dustbin of history. Maybe fiat money and central banking is a bit like what Churchill said about democracy, it could be the worst form of economic underpinnings except for all those others that have been tried. Certainly inflation, disinflation, and jolting business cycles were well known when the world ran on specie.

The 2008/2009 banking crisis and resulting government intervention was a scary event. Yet some thousand plus days later the wheels of trade are again more or less functional. Nobody should ever wish for a collapse, even if it like the grasshopper, you may think eventually those unprepared are due a comeuppance. If Bernanke was able to patch things together and pull off a last second save of modern civilization, he should be hailed as a hero, not pilloried. However, the fact that a last second save was even necessary should give you pause.

Even if you favor central banking, government backing of the savings and loans industry, and quantitative easement, the fact that it is a human at the lever that makes sure these functions help the economy should give you pause. The most powerful could be evil geniuses plotting every move, or perhaps even scarier, they are just people. Keynes - whose economic ideas are so often the target of the right and many survivalists - was fearful of the impact that “animal spirits” could have on the economy. The spontaneous urge to action unchecked by quantitative benefits or probabilities will always be a core potential risk in society. Even those who politically view government as having an important role in curbing the animal spirits should not ignore the very threats that modern Keynesians argue justify the Federal Reserve.

Other Concerns

Certainly the left offers other justifications for preparedness. Many on the left are concerned about the environment and sustainable ecology. And of course, plagues, nuclear terrorism, meteors, super volcanoes, various peak theories, earthquakes, and weather crises are all apolitical. - Anonymous

Deleveraging from one bubble to another - Since the peak in 2008 $1.3 trillion in US household debt is gone but another bubble is brewing hidden under the rubble of the busted housing market.

Precious metals market analyst Ted Butler: Transparency

Impending Catastrophe: Spain Has Entered A Full-Scale Collapse And Created A Tremendous Amount of Instability Which Could Trigger An Imminent Lehman-Like Event And A Rerun of The Great Panic of 2008

B.B. sent this: Estimate of California's real debt upped from $28 billion to... $335 billion

In Forbes: Run On The Banks Would Make Fiscal Cliff Look Like A Speed Bump

Items from The Economatrix:

US Bank Run Imminent As FDIC Expanded Deposit Insurance Ends December 31st

Spain Recoils As Its Hungry Forage Trash Bins For Food

Fed Virtually Funding The Entire US Deficit

Greece Is About To Default Again

SurvivalBlog's Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted this: Mapping the World's Population by Latitude, Longitude. Mike's comment: "An interesting pair of charts, but it is skewed a bit by China and India."

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Reader R.B.S. sent us this: San Francisco considers 220-square-foot micro-apartments

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Reader W.C.P. forwarded a link to a diatribe by the West Point Academy's Director of Terrorism Studies (an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social Sciences) in which he parrots the SPLC's Party Line and tars survivalists with a very broad brush, equating us with skinheads, the KKK, and neo-Nazis: Identifying Three Trends in Far Right Violence in the United States. He claims that right-wing extremism is in part characterized by “ideological associations promoting anti-taxation, gun rights, and a 'survivalist' lifestyle...”  and “strong convictions regarding the corrupted and tyrannical nature of the federal government and its related natural tendency to intrude on individuals’ civilian lives and constitutional rights..." [JWR's Comment: <Sarcasm On>Those radical Americans who talk about Constitutional rights. They must all be subversives. <Sarcasm Off>]

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I noticed that the second episode of the post-power grid collapse drama television series Revolution is now available at the NBC web site, and on Hulu.com. In just the first 15 minutes of it there was a bushel basket full of familiar memes from The Postman and The Hunger Games. In the second episode the plot has thickened, but I still consider the show sub-par, at least alongside a show like Jericho.

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F.G. sent word of a bad legal precedent: Florida: Court Approves Detaining Motorists at Toll Booth for "large bills"

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The folks at Safecastle are wrapping up their last maximum Mountain House sale of the year. They are offering 33% discounts on many of the most popular #10-can entrees through September 30 only, and 25% discounts on everything else. Then, after September 30th, they will still offer 25%-off all the Mountain House can varieties through October 7th. They also offer additional member incentives to Safecastle Royal club members.

Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Put not your trust in princes, [nor] in the son of man, in whom [there is] no help.
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Happy [is he] that [hath] the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope [is] in the LORD his God:
Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein [is]: which keepeth truth for ever:
Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
The LORD openeth [the eyes of] the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
The LORD shall reign for ever, [even] thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD. - Psalm 146 (KJV)

A reminder that there will be a Sustainable Preparedness Expo this Sunday in Spokane, Washington (September 30, 2012), from 10 AM to 6 PM. The keynote speaker will be Congressman Bartlett, Ph.D., talking about EMP. Bartlett is the only outspokenly survivalist member of congress and is a strong proponent of EMP preparedness. One of our advertisers (Pantry Paratus) will have a booth there as will one of our writing contest sponsors, Naturally Cozy. The latter will have a few autographed copies of my latest novel ("Founders") available for sale. I included some very special bookmarks as well as some SurvivalBlog magnets for each, as bonuses. If you attend, please stop by and say hello at both of these booths.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

The queue for Round 42 is full but Round 43 begins on October 1st, so please start writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

One recent evening I was listening to the local news as they reported on a Tornado outbreak, in one of the Eastern States. The tornado(s) had occurred at night and the news anchors were horrified that the people would not know that anything was happening until it was all over.

Severe weather can occur almost everywhere on our planet. Within the last 10 years I have heard reports of Tornados inside of New York City, London, England, and in India. Tornados and Severe Thunderstorms can occur during the day but also at night.

Tornadoes vary in size from yards wide to mile wide machines of death. Tornadoes can pack wind speeds of tens to several hundred miles per hour. Tornadoes can pick up semi tractor trailers and toss them hundreds of yards, they can literally scour asphalt off of roadways.

Severe Thunderstorms can produce winds in excess of 60 miles per hour, hail larger than the size of  a quarter, and dangerous lightning. Severe Thunderstorms will sometimes produce straight line winds that can tip over semi tractor trailers. Severe Thunderstorms can also produce a microburst. A microburst is a rapidly sinking column of air from a Thunderstorm, it can sink at several miles per hour to hundreds of miles per hour. Microbursts can topple full grown trees, flatten houses, etc.

I have lived in what is called Tornado Alley for all but 18 months of my 40 plus years (An all expense paid vacation to Bosnia, courtesy of Uncle Sam). I am in no way a weather expert. I offer the following information hoping that it will be of use to you.

During the months of Late March thru the middle of June I am hyper-vigilant when it comes to the weather. I will detail my routine below

By listening to the different stations available to you, you will be able to figure out who you can trust and who the clowns are.
Once you have an idea, listen to the station regularly. Listen to the 5-day forecast to see when storms are predicted for your area. This is your early warning system, think of the local weather guys as the cans on the string with the rocks in them, to let you know something is out there.
Also one note here when they say that there is a 40% chance of rain or storms, they mean 40% of the listening area for that station could expect to see rain or storms.

Refer to the web site of the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.  These guys know their business. They can’t predict where and when something will happen but they can give you an area and a day that they think it is going to happen.

The first thing about this site is they speak in weather terms so you will have to find a way to interpret them. The Weather.com  and NOAA web sites sites have some good glossaries of weather terms.

When you first come onto the page look at the map of the U.S. they will encircle an area and give the probability for severe weather (slight, moderate, high). The "Conv. Outlooks" (Convective Outlooks) give you a synopsis of what they think is going to happen. You will need your weather-speak interpreter here. Watches obviously show you the watches. MD’s are Mesoscale Discussions. This is where the forecasters at the SPC give their impressions on what is now happening in a given area. If you look on the map you will see the area circled in red. Usually if an area is circled, it is about ready to go under a watch of some type.

This site is one that you have to play with and get used to and also do some research on weather-speak. But it can be invaluable with the information that you can get.
Another note here, if these guys start getting fidgety, then bad things are getting ready to go down. This is when they issue Particularly Dangerous Situations alerts.

I think back to the News Anchor and her bleating, “What do those people do when it is dark or at night and they are asleep?”  My first thought was, “Well duh! You use your weather radio”.

Special receivers have been manufactured to tune into certain frequencies and would then activate the external speaker when a special tone was played, then the message was broadcast. The problem with this was that everyone was alerted for hazards that were 20-40 miles away and had little chance of impacting you. Today weather radios are much different. They use SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology and can alert you for hazards in the area or you can program in county codes to alert you to threats specific to the county(s) that you program. Weather radios are usually tested every Wednesday unless severe weather is in the area.

When programming you would think that you would want to program for just your county so that you would not have to hear what is going on two counties over. I actually do the opposite, I program not only the county that I live in but all of the surrounding counties. Usually you have the ability to program 10 county codes.

If I am asleep at night and my weather radio goes off for a Tornado Warning for the county to my west I can then get up and see what I need to do by listening to either TV or Storm spotters. As an aside here, have a scanner with your local storm spotter frequency. They will be able to tell you when stuff is happening and may see that Tornado forming that the weather guys are not seeing yet on radar. If you do not know the local storm spotting frequency try the local Amateur radio frequencies. If all else fails local fire or law enforcement frequencies may give you information.

By programming in the surrounding counties I have more time to wake up and to decide do we go to the shelter, or other courses of action. If you only have just your county programmed in, you may only get the warning when the thing is coming down on top of you.
Usually these radios cost between $30 to $100. The radio also broadcasts current NOAA conditions, forecasts, hazardous weather outlooks for most areas. 

So as I am writing this it almost has a "defense in depth" process feeling.

• Use your local news stations weather as an early warning.
• Use the Storm Prediction Center as a tool to see what the actual hazards are.
• Use your Weather Radio as a trip wire to warn you that the wolf is at the door.
• Listening to your local storm spotters, they can give you up to the minute information on what is currently happening in your area.

Next, After the Schumer has hit the fan and there is no Internet, NOAA, or Uncle Sugar.
You will need to setup your own off grid weather station. I purchased something similar to this one, several years ago. These instruments give you rudimentary Temperature, Humidity, and Barometric pressure. Barometric pressure decreasing would increase the likelihood of rain or a storm.
Or, Thermometers are pretty cheap and can be obtained at dollar stores. Here is a set of plans to build a barometer.
Here are instructions for a Hygrometer. 

Also, you will have to do your own observations of the conditions around you. As you will not have your weather person to tell you about the weather.

Clouds:  
Here is a link to a web site that describes various cloud types. In summary:

• Cirrus Clouds indicate that there could be rain within 36 hours.
• Cumulus Towers indicate possible rain later in the day. Watch cumulus towers if they continue to build they will become Cumulonimbus Clouds.
• Cumulonimbus Clouds – (Thunder Heads, Anvil Clouds) Severe weather makers.
• Wall Cloud – Usually under a Cumulonimbus cloud. This is a cloud that is part of the cloud structure but is lower than the surrounding cloud structure. A wall cloud will rotate, and usually produce tornados.
• Mammatus Clouds – Usually seen from under the storm itself, are formed by sinking air as the thunderstorm is dissipating.

 Plants:

• Oak or Maple leaves will curl in high humidity, which usually precedes Rain
• Pine cone scales remain closed in high humidity, but will open in dry air.
• Plants will release their waste in low pressure, generating a compost type smell indicating approaching rain.

Wind:

• Easterly winds usually indicate an approaching storm, Westerly winds usually do not.
• Strong winds can indicate pressure differences which can signal an approaching storm front.
• Wind changing direction can signal the passage of a front.

Sky:

• A rainbow in the west indicates a lot of moisture in the air and the possibility of a storm moving towards you.
• The old saying of “Red Sky at Night, Sailors delight. Red sky in the morning Sailors take warning.”
  Red sky at night, Sailors delight; The red sky is caused by dust particles stirred up by a high pressure system. This means dry air is headed toward you.
• Red sky in the morning, Sailors take warning; That high pressure system is now to your East. Low pressure has moved in.
• If the moon is reddish or pale, dust is in the air. If the moon is bright and sharply focused then high pressure has cleared out the dust.
• A ring close around the moon is caused by the moon light shining thru cirrus clouds which means rain can be expected within 36 hours.

Animals:

• Herd animals (Cows, horses, sheep) will usually cluster together prior to a storm.
• Large numbers of birds sitting on power lines can indicate low pressure
• Birds will fly higher in high pressure.
• Animals will usually get quiet just prior to it raining.
• Crickets can be fairly accurate at telling you the temperature. If you add the chirps a cricket makes in a 14 second time period and add the number to 40 you should come up with the temperature within one or two degrees Fahrenheit. Obviously the temperature would be over 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Ants will stay near their nests and will even cover up the hole on their mound, when they detect low pressure. They will also build up the sides of their mound to shed the rain.
• Bees can also detect when the pressure is low and will hover around their hives and will not be in your flower beds.

Hopefully this information will be of some use to you not only now, but maybe some of this will be helpful after the Schumer has been flung.   Keep your powder dry!

You stocked supplies with plenty of beans, bullets, and Band-Aids.  You have backup plans to your backup plans and know your family can survive months without any contact from the outside world.  You are ready for just about any cataclysmic event, should one happen.  But are you really ready for the most important decision of your life and the life of your family members?  How far would you go to protect your life and the life of a family member? 

Preparing for disaster doesn’t necessarily mean you prepare for armed combat, but practically, disasters create an environment where the aggressor takes all from those unable to maintain control of their possessions.  Those that have not prepared and find themselves with nothing to lose will do whatever it takes to survive, even robbing, stealing, or killing others to take their supplies.   In a time where laws cannot be enforced, the primal law of the land is king, for whoever is stronger than another, owns that which he can take by force.  This not only includes your supplies and food, but also your family members.

Some people refuse to consider preparing for the possibility of horrific violence that may be placed upon their family members.  By rationalizing fear with excuses of “we’ll be too far away from the city for this to happen”, or “I’ll just shoot whoever tries”, will only increase the odds of failure should you or your family face threats of death and  violence.  The first step of surviving a violent encounter is accepting that it can happen no matter your preparation or denial of the possibility.

As you read this, you are now preparing yourself to defend against this potential violence.  After you read this article, you need to rise from your chair and make plans to save your life and the life of your family members by following two simple rules; (1) Physically prepare to fight for your life and (2) Mentally prepare to take a life.    Unless you have experience in the military or law enforcement, you need to do a lot more than convince yourself that the solution of “I will just shoot them” is all you need to do.    Easy in theory, but in practice, not so much.

The easy part is preparing now for physically defending your family in the future.  This does not mean purchasing an armory of weapons and a ton of ammunition; although if you can do this, you’ll be the envy of many and possibly the focus of a government investigation.   You also do not need to spend years earning a black belt in martial arts.   You do need to know what constitutes a weapon and how to employ it.  This includes items specifically designed as weapons, such as a shotgun or handgun.  It also includes items not specifically designed with a self-defense purpose, but can be effective improvised weapons.  Something as innocuous as a rolled up magazine used as an impact weapon or a power cord of a lamp used as a garrote can be considered improvised weapons and not under the control of any law as weapons.

If you have chosen to not be around firearms, nor touch them, or even teach your children how to be safe around firearms, then you really need to know how to use a wide range of firearms.  Those that regularly carry and practice with firearms are comfortable with their firearms, in the loading, field stripping, and cleaning of the weapons.   The more varied types of weapons used the more versatile ability in using different types of firearms.  Someone without firearms experience may one day have to bear arms and use that weapon immediately, or face certain death.  If you cannot even find the safety of a firearm, load it, or fire it accurately, the weapon is useless in the defense of your family.  At a bare minimum, without even purchasing a firearm, classes exist where you can learn the operation of revolvers, handguns, rifles, and shotguns.  By at least knowing how firearms operate, given a tragic scenario where you may have the good fortune to find a weapon or take a weapon away from your attacker, you just might be able to use it effectively.  Before thinking this may be more than you want to take on, consider that the operation of all weapons is really quite similar in basics.  Learning how to operate one type of revolver will allow you to figure out another type when there are slight differences.   Remember, it’s not like Hollywood.  Firearms need to be loaded and re-loaded.  They jam.  And if you don’t aim or use an accurate pointing system, you will miss.  Just because you may not want to handle firearms does not mean your future attackers feel the same.

From now on, if you haven’t been doing so already, you will look at ‘things’ differently.  Walking into your office, you will see the lamp on your desk a little different.  As you look at the lamp, you ask yourself, “If I were to use this as an impact weapon, how would I hold it?”    Loose items on your desk will be looked at as if they were items of lethal force or at least a distraction when thrown at an attacker.  Your home will become an armory without firearms.  Anyone’s home can become an armory.  Beyond kitchen knives, any item can be used as an impact weapon, penetration weapon, as cover or concealment, or as a distraction thrown at an attacker.  Your basic training need only consist of thinking of how you would use these things, not actually trashing your home and office by practicing. 

After you learn the fundamentals of common firearms operation, where you can safely load and effectively shoot a wide range of firearms, you are still not ready.  Even after you look at everyday items as improvised weapons habitually, you are still not ready to defend your family against violent attackers.  There is the non-physical aspect of preparation; you need to prepare your mind for the potential violence and just as importantly, prepare for the psychological effect of the aftermath of violence.  The end of a violent encounter, doesn’t.  It continues for years and sometimes for a lifetime.

There are many facets of violent encounters that affect the outcome of the encounter, especially when your life is at stake.  During a life and death encounter, where one or more attackers may be intent on taking your possessions, your life, and maybe assaulting your family members, you will endure the highest stress, ever.  This stress will negatively affect your (1) physical ability to respond, your (2) mental capability to think, and your (3) coping measures for the aftermath.  You can lessen, but not eliminate, these negative effects with preparation.

The immediate physical effects that you will experience during a life and death encounter will affect your motor skills along with altering your audio and visual perception.  Your heart rate and breathing will increase and you may have uncontrollable trembling and potentially, a loss of bladder and bowel control.  You might experience tunnel vision, where your field of vision becomes restricted so narrowly, that you may only be able to see the attacker’s weapon.  Your audio senses might block out all noises or even intensify certain sounds.  Examples of this would be the person that saw the barrel of a .22 handgun look as large as a cannon barrel, or the noise of a .22 sounding like a cannon.

Seemingly easy tasks such as unsnapping a holster becomes more difficult with trembling hands and a loss of fine motor skills that require precise movements to find a snap or lever.  The passage of time may also feel distorted, in that everything moves quickly or in slow motion.   Although there are researchers that dispel the notion of slow motion, there are also many accounts of persons that distinctly remember thinking to themselves, “why is he moving so slowly?” during lethal force encounters. 

The physical reactions to a life and death situation are instinctive to the human body.  Increased blood flow through a rapid (higher than normal) heart rate, increased oxygen through rapid breathing, increase in gross motor skills, and perceptional changes in focus all contribute to life saving skills…if you are being chased by a lion and need to run fast without thinking. 
In our world of defending against human attackers, we need to maintain our dexterity in handling weapons, our control of bodily functions to fight, and our mind to think.  The only practical method of doing this is through self-induced practice.  Shooting competitions, as one example, condition the mind and body to automatically perform several key movements, with fluidity, under a time pressure to achieve a goal of accurate fire.  Practicing the manipulation of a weapon to the point that thinking is not needed to perform will check one box off of worry in a lethal force encounter.  

Scenario based training, such as with paintball guns or lasers, can also imprint a consistent response to a perceived threat through repetitive practice.    These practical training scenarios can reduce your reaction time and train your mind as to how people act and react.  As an example, continually reacting to a role that reaches for a weapon in a specific manner, such as reaching in his waistband, trains your mind that a certain movement implies a certain result.  Reaching into a waistband implies pulling out a weapon.  Training yourself for these small gestures gives you more time to identify the threat and react. 

Perfect practice makes perfect, and by training your body to arm itself automatically when a threat is perceived will allow your brain to focus on other important issues.  Some of these issues include identification of the threat and decisions on how to react, when to react, and if you need to react at all.  Maintaining control of your body and mind, as much as can be possible during this time, allows you the most effective means of defending yourself and family.  Knowing that you may be suffering from tunnel vision might be enough to calm yourself to expand your field of vision.  Knowing that the trembling you feel does not have to do with being afraid, but a normal reaction to a life and death experience allows you to concentrate on the more important issues facing you at the time. 

Although you cannot control the effects of an adrenaline dump, you can recognize the effects and control your reaction to them.  As long as your brain continues to think, you can reduce irrational decision making, or an uncontrolled fight/flight response.  You may also prevent your mind from simply freezing and not knowing what to do, other than hope for a divine rescue. 
One of the most effective means of training for lethal encounters is through visualization.  Simply visualizing a scenario and your correct response will give you positive results in the future, in similar situations.  If your work requires you to fly constantly, you can constantly visualize scenarios during flights and think of reactions to threats.  Over time, you’ll have a bank account of many responses to many types of threats should it ever happen (again).  Again, thinking is of utmost importance, as you need to be able to quickly identify if there is a threat and choose an option to deal with it, sometimes within a split second.

Another important consideration to prepare is that of the aftermath of a life and death encounter.  Regardless if you had no choice but to take a life or if the attack was prevented through other means, there are long lasting effects.  As each person is different, there are different reactions.  These reactions range from elation of surviving a lethal encounter to revulsion as to what transpired.  Regret, anger, aggressiveness, nightmares, loss of control of emotions, trouble concentrating, flashbacks, and just plain not feeling ‘right’ are effects of being a survivor (or winner) of a lethal force encounter.  Denying that these can happen to you may only make the effects that much worse.  This has nothing to do with being ‘tough’.

Some of these effects can be reduced or eliminated through the physical practice mentioned in this article and others reduced through visualizations, all of which need to happen BEFORE the incident.  After the incident, therapy and counseling will help cope with the negative effects.  By not preparing beforehand and certainly by not taking care of yourself afterward, you can expect the full effect of a post-traumatic stress disorder.   Those that have trained for their career in deadly force encounters, such as those in the military and law enforcement have an edge of training and experience.  They even may have an edge in delaying the after effects of deadly force encounters.  But, we are all human and suffer from the human condition.  Eventually, everyone, including the most experienced combat veteran, will experience these life changing effects, whether it be days after or decades later.

The intention of this article is not to convince anyone to avoid taking a life should that be the only recourse in protecting yourself and family.  The intention is to push you to prepare yourself now for that horrific event in the chance that it comes to your door or into your home.  It is also to help you to help your family member that may have to go through this to save your life as care and understanding does help.

So as you prepare with supplies, prepare for winning a lethal encounter.  As much as you try to avoid it, and as much as you hope that it may never happen, you just never know.  The odds of a lethal encounter are higher than you may imagine, even as you shop in a grocery store, fly on a plane, or stop at a traffic light.  Avoid that what you can; gain control of that which has gone out of control; and take comfort in your faith and family to support your traumatic experience should it ever come to that.

Mr. Rawles,
I recently watched a speech given by Jared Diamond, author of the books Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, among others.  It was very interesting and prompted me to write this post (which I first posted over at Guerrillamerica.com.)

I'm watching Jared Diamond speak about why societies collapse.   As you may know, Diamond wrote the book Guns, Germs, and Steel and Collapse, among others (and they're all great).  Here are five factors that Jared says affect the collapse of societies.  I'll take notes and relate these effects to the American Redoubt region.  Think of these as thinking points as opposed to talking points.

Human Impacts on the Environment
There are massive human impacts on the environment in parts of the American Redoubt, although much of the Redoubt states are a majority of Federally-owned lands.  Because Redoubt states are so richly endowed with natural resources (hydrocarbons, metals, minerals, and lumber); there's going to be an equal amount of focus on getting those substances out of the ground.  That can create pollution and a degradation of the environment, which Jared says causes societies to collapse.  There will have to be a happy-medium solution to resource extraction and protection of the environment because we're economically dependent on these resources in order to function.  Will the American Redoubt be held hostage by international oil cartels (along with the rest of America) or will we make strides to become energy independent?  My bet is on the latter.

Diamond cites a few different examples of how the environment ultimately did-in societies; from the collapse of the Mayan civilization to the Norse in Greenland.  For the Norse, overgrazing and deforestation contributed to the entire Norse population in Greenland dying off.

There are environmental factors that are "too subtle" to realize until it's too late; as in the case of the Norse.  One of the subtle factors we might include is the population growth over the next decade.  If we do see a financial collapse, followed by a domino effect of other collapses, we'll likely see an influx of patriots to the American Redoubt.  The slower the process of collapse - if Americans do have time to get out of Dodge in an orderly fashion - the faster we'll see immigration into the Redoubt.

We should consider how we'll harvest and extract natural resources in order to support the populace and the defense of the region.  In any number of scenarios, the American Redoubt states would likely have to provide for their own defense; export resources for cash; and manage an influx of immigrants.  That can induce stress on resource production, especially if demand outpaces available supply.  Could our treatment of the environment to make life better in the short term actually end up harming us in the long term?

I'm by no means an "environmentalist" but we have a long term interest in being good stewards of the environment.  That's not just for the environment but also for us.  When our society literally depends on the environment by which we're surrounded, we have a vested interest in strategically consuming or harvesting those resources.

[JWR Adds: Thankfully the population density in the American Redoubt is quite low. The population crash examples that Jared Diamond cited were nearly all in areas where the population density grew too high vis-a-vis the natural resources. If there were a rapid in-migration, it would still take a century or more for the Redoubt to overpopulate to the point where it outstrips its resources. For example, the county where I live has less than five people per square mile. Even if the population were to expand by a factor of 10, there would still be plenty of elbow room here. And there is enough timber here to support 20 times the population.]

Climate Change
I don't believe in anthropomorphic (man-made) climate change but I can easily see how the climates of geographical regions have and can change over time.  We've had ice ages and we've had warming periods; that's just the history of the globe as a whole.  If we are indeed experiencing climate change in the Redoubt states, then our survivability in this region could be at stake.
Let's just assume that climate change is indeed occurring in Redoubt states (purely hypothetical).  Because most of the Redoubt region consists of semi-arid valleys and high deserts, how would warming affect precipitation, the environmental ability to accumulate and retain moisture over the winter (snowfall and snow pack), and run-off which constitutes a large portion of irrigation that makes farming these regions possible?

How would climate change increase the stress on our water tables and aquifers and on crops within the climate threshold?

Relations with Friendly Societies
We have to define "Friendly Societies" as the states (or societies) immediately surrounding the Redoubt; and also include most states in the Union as well as the regions of Canada to the north (British Colombia, Alberta, Saskatchewan).  (States, regions, or societies we don't include here will fall under Hostile Societies.)
Because the Redoubt is landlocked, we'll be heavily dependent upon neighboring friendly societies for products and resources not indigenous to the region.  If we want a fresh tomato in January, we'd better figure out how trade is going to work under conditions where resources are scare (if we can even figure it out).  I believe the Redoubt can be energy independent and so our ability to export much needed resources will be an incentive for those friendly societies to remain friendly.
But at what point could we see conflict, coercion, and punishment from hostile societies?

Relations with Hostile Societies
The American Redoubt, with its vast resources and above average infrastructure, will still be under threat of systems disruption (def: the slowing or stopping of critical networks) to include interruptions of petrol, finance, energy, and economic networks (along with the rest of America).  The same nefarious actors that threaten America as a whole will pose a threat to the Redoubt as well.  We'll likely be limited in our ability (as Redoubters) to effect change on international adversaries and non-state entities and be wholly dependent on the response of America at large.
For the purpose of the American Redoubt, I'll include regional self-government as being under threat of hostile societies. Domestic hostile societies include large pockets of the Federal and military establishment; societies within the American Redoubt itself who won't want to live in a "free state"; and potentially large swaths of the population on both coasts.  In a true collapse scenario, there will likely be more immediate problems than the independent mountain states; but to overlook any segment of the American population would be foolish.

Political, Economic, Social, and Cultural Factors of Society
The political foundations in the American Redoubt states are what I'd call "pretty solid."  Liberty is still heralded as a major political issue although it becomes somewhat diminished in certain parts of each state.  The American Redoubt, by the numbers, has a strong economy; the region as a whole is in the top 25% of the nation when it comes to unemployment and at about the national average in other categories such as median household income.  Societal and cultural factors include a tolerance for logging, mining, and drilling (willing to accept risk for the reward); and very supportive of both hunting and gun laws.  Independence outweighs dependency and most believe that when the government gives to one what is not earned, another must work for without receiving.  Over-regulation and government interference are shunned in most places, which makes the American Redoubt states pretty great places to live.
Redoubters, I believe, when push comes to shove are responsive to intrusive government and laws of soft tyranny; although a few do manage to pass from time to time.  Compared to the rest of the nation, liberties in the Redoubt are either being upheld or eroding at a much slower rate.

Conclusion
Jared Diamond explains that a number of societies haven't experienced a slow, steady decrease; but instead rise to prominence only to fall very rapidly - years at minimum; decades at max - and collapse.  He likens that to a growth of bacteria in a petri dish, where the bacteria grows, the availability of food diminishes and disappears, and the bacterial growth collapses on relatively short order.

Those societies that collapsed failed to perceive their problems, failed to solve their problems, or both; some for lack of realization, some for lack of effort, or others for lack of ability.
"One blueprint for trouble, making collapse likely" is the rift between the "short term interests of the decision making elites and the long term interests of the society as a whole; especially if the elites are able to insulate themselves from the consequences of their actions."  We see this today in America.  Our decision makers - Congress, who passes laws regarding healthcare and social security that don't pertain to them - are adept at insulating themselves from the consequences of their actions and this makes me very concerned with the nation's survivability over the long term.

Finally, Jared Diamond says that societies must solve all their problems; that it does no good for a society to solve eleven threats but not solve the twelfth.  Regarding issues threatening collapse, we have to get it right 100% of the time.

These are five factors that every Redoubter should consider and we need to work on solving these problems before they threaten our society. - Partisan

Sue C. sent: Analysis: As worst euro fears fade, U.S. fiscal cliff looms

J. McC. sent: Corn and soybean supplies at an eight year low.

Jim Rogers on Quantitative Easing: "We're All Going To Pay A Horrible Price For This." (Thanks to Jim W. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Former ECB Chief Economist Says ECB is in a Panic, as Czech President Warns the End of Democracy is Imminent

Euro Crisis Even Staggers Irish Pubs

Consumers Cut Credit Card Use For Second Month

I must mention that there have been several bad reviews of my latest novel "Founders" posted at Amazon.com. Several of them seem to be from people who haven't even read the book. If you have read the book, then I'd appreciate seeing your reviews. In "Founders", in response to more than a dozen requests from readers, I expanded the story of Ken an Terry Layton's cross-country trek with a lot more detail. (Their journey had been just briefly described, post facto, in my first novel "Patriots.") But now a few folks are hammering me for being "repetitive"--even though I obviously had to make that part of the story match the events described in "Patriots." Perhaps it was a blunder on my part to include those passages. My apologies.

The other key criticism seems to be my references to Christianity. I'm not ashamed to be a Christian, and both my blog and my books are opportunities to share the Gospel and to demonstrate how Christians live by faith. I make no apology for that. If the ratings for my books suffer because of this, so be it. I'm not watering down my message, just for the sake of popularity.

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SurvivalBlog's Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson suggested an article about Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

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Education After The Collapse:  School When There Is No Classroom

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Reader J.M. wrote to mention: "I recently had a 15 year-old pair of Clark shoes re-soled by Resole America. This was all arranged by Internet and via UPS shipping. I sent them a pair of shoes with split-out stitching and thoroughly trashed soles. What they sent back looked almost like a new pair of shoes. They even arrived nicely polished and with a new pair of laces. They provided great "old school" craftsmanship. They charge from $50 to $70 (resoling my Clarks cost $77 with return postage), but that sure beats paying $130+ for a new pair of shoes. In addition to Clark, they re-sole many other shoes with stitched-on uppers from brands like Rockport, New Balance, Sperry, Havana Joe, Naot, and MBT. They also do Vasque and SIDI boots, and many other brands of boots."

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R.B.S. sent: In the gun control debate, the words we use matter (a lot)

"We notice on the catalog that now Gunsite is offering a 'precision rifle course.' I take it that this is to distinguish it from a 'dispersion rifle course.' But then again I never did understand marketing." - Col. Jeff Cooper, April, 1993

Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

The queue for Round 42 is full but Round 43 begins on October 1st, so please start writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Recently I attended a three day class on medical response in hostile environments presented by Medical Corps in Caldwell, Ohio.  The presenters were terrific, the topics important, and the hands on lab sessions made the whole thing come together very well.  I have already had considerable medical training but I left with a better understanding of what may be required in the future. I gained additional confidence in my ability to perform many of the basic and lifesaving medical functions.  After talking to a number of people I realized a few things about medical preparedness could be presented to this blog for thought and discussion.  The everyday American seems poorly equipped for medical emergencies, basic medical or dental care requirements for a grid down situation.  The majority of our individual healthcare needs are provided by the giant US healthcare system. We have become a population with limited medical skills, knowledge, and have no definitive plan to carry us through a serious societal breakdown.

Medical professionals possess a high level of training that may or may not be available to you or your group.  There are tens of thousands of doctors and nurses living in this country but I rarely hear or read where any prep groups are including or recruiting medical professionals.  I have been deeply involved in surgical and medical procedures for over 25 years and consider myself well educated on a wide variety of medical products and their use, but find myself nearly overwhelmed with the various aspects of medical prepping. The information that is available on an assortment of medical procedures and conditions is scattered around the internet and is difficult to understand.  Any numbers of sites praise the use of herbal remedies that they say will be growing in a roadside ditch while many others sell battle bandages and magic powder guaranteed to stop an arterial blood shower when your child gets shot by a band of ruthless marauders. People are wondering should we buy bird antibiotics in pills, capsules, can we freeze it, is it enough, will it last, what exact one should we buy, how much do we give someone, will it expire, what about other drugs, and suture, or dental instruments, and IV fluids, or what about shock treatment, or this , or that, or the other? Many people don’t know what information to look for or what they may actually need to do to provide for future medical needs.  Countless people are not even sure what they may be facing in the event someone falls ill or a grave injury occurs to a family or group member.  The choices and availability of medical provisions are, quite simply, dizzying and far too expansive for the average person to begin to make the right purchasing and stockpiling decisions regarding critical items.  Medical textbooks and manuals are readily available to the public but many describe techniques and procedures that call for far more knowledge and proficiency than average people genuinely possess.  In reality, people can’t expect to open a medical text book during an emergency and follow the directions.   In all seriousness, legitimate layperson medical skills training classes and study need to be a part of every preparedness plan.   All of these questions have answers but we must have a little help.         

While attending the Medical Corps training class I had the opportunity to talk openly to other people that made the decision to invest in essential formal medical and dental training.  Each person that attended the class shared some common beliefs.  The universal feeling was that the economic conditions in the US are near a catastrophic end point and that someday we would no longer enjoy our current way of life.  That ‘we the people’ will be required to take care of ourselves and our medical needs or people we care about may end up in a FEMA camp or worse.  They made the conscious decision to serve as at least one of the primary caregivers for their family or group.  Many of them felt like the proverbial deer in the headlights when it came to medical care in a hostile or grid down environment.  Like most of us they have entered the vast maze and had the online medical industry staring back at them from their computer screen.  These people realized they needed some help.  Attending the Medical Corps program was a big step in the right direction for many of those folks.  After a lot of searching I have come to the conclusion that medical and dental training for civilians is not readily available just down the road.  Organizations like the Medical Corps are few in number and seem to be located a long away from everywhere. Fortunately the cottage industry is growing and several quality organizations that offer authentic civilian medical training do exist.  I hope the following can help:

Trained Medical Personnel
A group, large or small, should designate a member as the medical director.  This person must be a responsible and intelligent member of the group.  A doctor, dentist, veterinarian, corpsman, nurse, chiropractor, pharmacist, surgical technologist, or respiratory therapist would all be good choices. Many of these people would be a great addition to a group and a few have access to things that will be difficult to obtain. In lieu of an experienced person, pick someone that will be able to keep a cool head and be prepared to make life and death decisions.  In reality it may be the father or mother of a family. Someone has to take the lead.  Ideally, the group should invest in the education of this person. A single 3 day class is only a start.  Someone must make a real effort to find and attend multiple training courses and become a student of medical skills.    Medical training classes, courses, workshops, and the ancillary materials are expensive.  The airline travel and lodging for multiple day programs and time off from work can definitely add up so the reliability and dedication of this person to the group must be without question. If financial restraints only allow one person to attend, then this person can start immediately sharing the information with others.  One fundamental for learning medical skills is: watch one, do one, teach one.  The long term health of the group or even your own family may depend on it.  Once your group is active and living in a hostile situation, it is vital to protect your doctor from harm.  There is a reason that the military avoids sending doctors into battle.  Doctors cost a small fortune to train and without them a lot more people die. Do not designate your primary, battle ready, gung ho group leader to this position.  Don’t exempt your medical personnel from tactical training and leave them vulnerable, but do not send them into dangerous situations. Military surgeons are generally armed at all times in hostile areas. Not a bad practice. The hopeful reality of a post crash society is that surviving groups of good and decent people will come together and form communities.  These communities will almost surely have doctors and nurses that will rebuild along with everyone else.  Our responsibility is to get our people to that point alive, in as good a condition as possible and provide a relatively functional medical support system.
Take a hard look at medical care and keep some things in mind about what will be needed.  We could all give some thought to a few categories:

Acute Trauma
 Acute trauma may be something as simple as a severe ankle sprain, bone fracture, laceration, or as bad as a gunshot wound to the head.  The most important job in a grid down acute trauma situation is to stabilize the person and get them to a location (your home or retreat) for more definitive care.  This may mean stopping the bleeding from a laceration or correctly taping an ankle.  It may mean more advanced care like stabilizing a fracture with plaster or a SAM splint.  Under almost all conditions it is far better to have the person walk out on their own, or at least walk out with assistance.  Proficiency in splinting and taping can make this possible some of the time.  In a hostile, hot, or rugged environment carrying a full size adult for anything other than a short distance may well create other causalities.  Carrying someone, even with a well designed liter it is an enormous, backbreaking ordeal.  You may be tasked with making an airway for someone that has a severe reaction to an insect sting or poison.  You may be forced to stop your best friend from bleeding out after a severe wound.  The key to successful, and potentially lifesaving intervention is to get some training before anything happens.  At a minimum every group member should do what it takes to learn the skills to stabilize bones and joints, open airways, stop bleeding, and get fluids into the patient. (There are some interesting ways to hydrate a person)  If you can perform these procedures and carry a carefully crafted medical kit you may keep someone alive.

Acute Care
This is care that should be able to be provided at your base location after a patient presents from the field or down the street.  People will come in here with all types of injuries. The “oh I cut myself” patient to the people that are going to die. This location will for all practical purposes be your hospital. The types of care will include cleaning, suturing and bandaging wounds.  It may also include setting, splinting, and casting fractures and joint dislocations.  Minor and perhaps not so minor, surgical procedures will ultimately be performed by qualified people with the right supplies and equipment. Burns are a common hostile setting injury and will be initially treated in this location.  Sucking chest wounds, head wounds, and foot blisters may all show up on a given day. This area must be kept exceptionally clean, ordered, well lit, and standing by for use at anytime.  If there is anywhere that clean water will be available in quantity it needs to be here.  Infection must be stopped here and copious washing of wounds and hands is vital.    If your group has stored medications and antibiotics, this is the place for those.  A stove top pressure cooker can be used as a sterilizer, but you must learn how to do it.  Many people are visual learners and there could be large human anatomy posters (commercially available) and step by step diagrams of common procedures on the walls in here. This location (in a separate but attached room) will be where the largest percentage of your stored medical supplies will be housed and used. In a grid down situation a well prepared community may want to limit foot traffic and keep this spot guarded at all times.  Some of the available civilian medical courses can help us with setting up and stocking this type of area.  

Dental Care
The Medical Corps training program provides a very good foundation for field dentistry.  The lectures were down to earth and the hands on lab sessions were a popular part of the class.  Basic techniques and procedures like extractions, fillings, and cleanings will be absolutely necessary for your group.  The class literally stripped away the mystery surrounding the basics of extractions and fillings.  A lot of people are of the mindset that a tooth can just be grabbed with a set of pliers and pulled.  I guess it could, and the tooth will come out eventually, but every physician lives by the oath “first, do no harm”. After attending this class I would never attempt to remove a tooth without the proper preparation and tools.  But now that I have completed the class and gotten the necessary tools I will never be in that situation. The point is that with a basic education and the proper instruments field dentistry can be added to your group medical care plans.  For those who are dedicated to providing group care and are committed to furthering their field dental education, the Dentist/instructor offers an additional 3 day advanced dental class.  My own preparation plans include attendance at the next scheduled class.  An untreated abscessed tooth can turn into a life threatening emergency.

Medical Supplies
This is one area of medical preparedness where a lot of money is being spent.  This is also a prime area of confusion for a lot of people.  There appears to be somewhat of a feeding frenzy going on. A lot of people are not sure what to buy so they just start ordering. Medical product and first aid companies have tens of thousands of product line items to choose from.  Many sites appear to list a single type of bandage ten or more times, with slight variations in the product, making it difficult to actually order what you wanted. This process is repeated over and over on thousands of products. Even a very savvy medical supply shopper remains hopelessly confused and many times will exit the site without buying anything.  There are literally thousands of all inclusive first aid kits being sold on the internet.  Be careful what you buy for there may be some kits that fall more in the realm of marketing and not medicine.  Please understand, there are great first aid kits out there and they can be an excellent start to medical prepping but purchase from a reputable company and really understand exactly what you are getting. This is not a blanket denigration of first aid kits that are sold on the internet.  However, it is a gentle word of warning to be careful what you buy.  Medical products are much like any other consumable manufactured goods.  There are a lot of choices of similar products from various companies.  Some products are great and some not so great.  Some store well long term while others degrade rather quickly. I have learned a lot about first aid kits and supplies by doing my own research, attending medical training, and trial and error. Trial and error gets expensive. Many people’s preference is to assemble their own kits with products and supplies that they have the knowledge, or plan on obtaining the knowledge, to use. Educating yourself before you buy is important.  With proper guidance we can get our hands on most of the medical and dental supplies needed for our group or family.  Organizations like the Medical Corps help you make the right decisions and steer you in the right direction. They honestly tell you “buy this exact one because we use it in battle and it works”.  Finally!  As you or your designated medical officer press forward in your education you can add supplies to support your skills. Many of the exact same products used in hospitals, dental clinics, and operating rooms can be purchased by the average citizen.

In closing I hope that I have not added to the confusion of medical preparedness.  If you seek out and ultimately take advantage of the training opportunities that are available I sincerely hope you will get the feeling of empowerment that can only come from knowledge and preparation.  Finally, THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE OR DENTISTRY WITHOUT A LICENSE IS ILLEGAL IN THE USA.  Thankfully, education is not.

Imagine a scenario where there are no more hospitals, no more drugs, no more pharmacies, no more walk in clinics. No more ER’s or Acute Care Clinics. The OTC medicine’s shelves have been cleaned bare by looters. All the nurses and orderlies and support staff have fled the ruins of the healthcare edifices to be with their families. The modern healthcare system is no more.

Now imagine someone you are depending on for your security and perhaps even survival wrenching their back while hopping out of the back of a pick up. Their back muscles seizing up so tight and the pain that they are experiencing, so excruciating that they can barely walk, let alone perform the tasks necessary for survival in a post TSHTF world. With modern healthcare now non-existent, what are you going to do?

Now, given the fact that our American healthcare system is highly dependant on high cost, high tech interventions, the idea that our current healthcare system would very quickly suffer a horrible degradation should TSHTF is a very real probability.

Given that high tech complexity and the subsequent hole that will be left should our healthcare system ever collapse, it makes sense to prepare by learning a low cost, easy to use, scientifically proven, versatile form of medical care not dependant on electrical power, knowledge of advanced applied organic chemistry or even nuclear science (all of which modern medicine is based on). With this single article, you have the tools to offer your loved ones the benefit of the 2500 years of proven effectiveness acupuncture provides.

Should one find themselves in a TEOTWAWKI situation, acupuncture could be very useful in a wide range of medical situations when medications are hard to come by (or increasingly expensive). Acupuncture is free when you know how to do it. Since most clinical studies show that acupuncture has a long lasting pain relieving effect, it could be very useful in post-pharmaceutical America.

I believe that knowing a little bit of acupuncture could not only prove potentially lifesaving for ones own inner-circle of family members, but also would be a skill that would quickly become a valuable tradable service in a post pharmaceutical healthcare landscape.

Acupuncture. Really???
Dating back thousands of years, the practice of acupuncture has held the distinction of being one of the worlds most commonly used and scientifically tested and verified forms of medical care. While it is common in China to utilize acupuncture as routinely as an aspirin, here in America, acupuncture is still relatively portrayed as an exotic, mystical or mysterious voodoo medicine by popular media. That is unfortunate because with a little bit of instruction (as in this article) anyone could learn to perform a simple yet effective acupuncture treatment with great results.

Acupuncture has shown itself over the centuries to be one of the most versatile medical therapies out there (being utilized for just about any dysfunction in the body, from digestive health issues to urinary issues to allergies). I often say that it’s easier to list the things acupuncture cannot treat than to go down the much longer list of the things it can be successfully used for.

For brevity, this article will focus ONLY on low back pain. Perhaps subsequent articles will give condition specific treatments for other health issues such as knee, shoulder or neck pain, PTSD, asthma, anxiety & depression, headaches, nausea, etc.

Acupuncture has recently become well regarded by the mainstream western medicine establishment in recent years. It has been endorsed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), The World Health Organization (WHO), The American Medical Association (AMA), Mayo Clinic & Harvard, the socialized medical plans of France, Germany, Italy, England and several others, as well as the US military who provides “battlefield acupuncture” as part of the rehab to active duty personal as well as returning vets returning with wounds from overseas. Based on results from a comprehensive study they conducted, even the Israeli government now recommends and utilizes acupuncture for PTSD in soldiers and civilians alike.

While acupuncture is starting to be found more and more in hospitals her in the US; in Europe, acupuncture is much more integrated into their medical systems. In Britain for instance, acupuncture is considered a “first-line therapy” for lower back pain as it also is in Germany, where 1/3 of their MDs report routinely using acupuncture as a treatment for their patients.

Please note that in most states, acupuncture is a regulated profession and one must be licensed by the state to practice. So utilizing the information in this article in normal day-to-day society could likely be flirting with “practicing medicine without a license” in your state. Because of that, I suggest printing this article and keeping it stored away until a TEOTWAWKI situation develops, when such legal implications would likely be overlooked by state & local government officials.

Yet, doing a course of 12 treatments on a loved one by yourself in today’s environment would theoretically save you $900 in medical bills (based on the national average of $75 per treatment). Should you have had the acupuncture done at a typical hospital that charges $220 a treatment, the hypothetical savings would be $2,640 or more.

Please keep in mind that properly trained acupuncturists receive 6-8 years of higher level college education in acupuncture and herbal medicine from one of the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) schools here in the US or overseas. The “how-to” information is this article is a very cursory overview with a few “down and dirty” protocols, so should you not get the results you are looking for when performing “TEOTWAWKI Acupuncture”, please remember that this article is just a few pages while a practicing acupuncturist studied 10,000’s of pages of information just to begin practicing. This article is a very cursory “how-to” for the simplest of cases, so as they say; “individual results may vary”. Should this article pique your interest in learning more; there are millions of pages online and books available to gain further information on the practice of acupuncture.

So let us begin…

Acupuncture is the practice of inserting fine, thin sterilized metal needles (or threads / slivers / pins / etc) into specific spots on the body to elicit specific physiological responses, such as triggering the body to produce a surge of natural anti-inflammatory, natural endorphins (natural pain-relieving morphine-like chemicals), or muscle relaxants. One would say that acupuncture triggers the body to “make its own medicine” or “rekindle the body’s natural healing response”.

Although acupuncture has undergone more scientific scrutiny than any other medical procedure in the world, modern science does not fully understand how it works (This is not truly a concern since neither do they fully understand or explain the effects of aspirin or any other medication for that matter). Regardless; acupuncture can be used for muscle skeletal pain relief, hormonal and menstrual issues, stress, anxiety, depression and numerous other mental health conditions, digestive conditions such as irritable bowels and acid reflux. But since this article must only focus on back pain for brevity sake; again, I suggest you find supplementary information on the web with info on how to treat conditions readily treatable.

Let’s have an example; for simplicity sake, let’s say one of your family members strained their back chopping firewood or laying sandbags or jumping off the back of a truck bed wearing a backpack. In my practice, I see people like this all the time.

Often, after wrenching their back, they take OTC pain relievers for a week, anticipating that the pain will go away on its own in due time. When that doesn’t happen they next go to their doctor and get an x-ray or MRI and get prescribed a combination of narcotics and muscle relaxants. After several more weeks of waiting for the medications to “kick in”, they come see me at the acupuncture office. After doing a quick intake exam, I typically place 5 half-inch long (.16mm thick) acupuncture needles into the cartilage of each ear (the floppy outer part of the ear; just deep enough for them to stay there) as well as three one inch needles of the same gauge on each hand at a depth of about ½ in. Finally I place a needle on the back of each ankle in the hollow formed by the Achilles tendon. I then tell them to sit there for half an hour quietly at which point I come back to remove the needles and they leave. Done.

Unbelievably this cuts pain in 85% of the people that get acupuncture. For some people (about 15%), they experience what could be considered a miraculous, instantaneous alleviation of the pain.

Unfortunately; for 15% on the other end of the spectrum, no amount of acupuncture seems to give any relief. Everyone else is somewhere along that relief gradient. So like all medicine; it is a percentage game. Even aspirin does not work in 100% of all cases. Keep in mind that acupuncture works best as a short series of treatments. A single session is almost never enough (no matter what you see in the movies), but 6-12 sessions are often enough to alleviate and eliminate someone’s long term chronic pain. On average, in my office, I typically see a back pain patient 6 visits before they consider themselves pain free. If they do not see any change or even the slightest improvement after 3 sessions, I make the assumption that they are in that 15% category which will not respond. I typically release them from care after the three sessions instead of continuing and wasting their money.

Preparing Your Kit
The amazing thing about using acupuncture as a medical treatment is that you need so little equipment. A single needle is often enough. In a typical modern acupuncturist office, you will have some pre-sterilized needles, maybe some disinfecting alcohol swabs to swipe the puncture points beforehand (although this is arguably not necessary) and perhaps a cotton ball, Q-tip or tissue to apply pressure to the puncture site after removing the needles to “close the hole”.

Procuring Needles Today
Acupuncture needles are very affordable. You can find them for around 2¢ or less per needle if you shop around. The more expensive Seirin brand, which is considered “top of the line” will put you back only about $12 for a box of 100. Since acupuncture needles are considered “medical instruments” in most states, some suppliers may ask for some sort of proof of licensure from your state when you try to purchase them online. Don’t worry; the fortunate thing is that most suppliers online do not bother asking for your credentials. So if you go to purchase needles online and they ask for you to fax them a copy of your acupuncture license, simply go to another site. Since there are 100’s of manufacturers and brands to choose from, I would simply mention that I favor the DBC brand. I almost exclusively use the DBC brand 0.16mm size.  For body acupuncture I use the one inch needles (30mm) and for ear acupuncture, I use half inch (15mm) needles.

The thing to keep in mind is that some practitioners suggest that the patient needs to get a strong sensation from the needles, so “bigger is better”. These practitioners typically would use .30mm thick needles, which is something I have found that patients DON’T usually enjoy. If you want a patient to come back for enough acupuncture to get the job done, I suggest sticking to the thinner needles. From my observations, you can use thinner needles and get just as good of results. The only caveat is that you should perhaps pick up at least one box of the thicker needles for elderly patients who need a little more “oompf” or for the nut who thinks “I have to feel it for it to work”.

Another avenue of procuring acupuncture needles is to go to your nearest acupuncture college book store which often has them available for purchase by alumni right on the shelf, no questions asked. Needles are sold in boxes of either 100 needles or 1000. Either pre-wrapped and sterilized as individual needles or in bulk packs of 5 and 10’s. When you are doing the math to determine how many to buy and cache, consider that most acupuncturists will use 10 needles per patient per treatment.

Use The “Guide Tube” When You Can
Most manufacturers supply their needles with disposable “tubes” or “pipes” which make acupuncture even more pain free. To do acupuncture using a guide tube, you simply place the acupuncture needle into the guide tube, gently apply a bit of pressure downward onto the skin and tap the protruding top of the needle down. The tip of the needle slips into the flesh painlessly. The purpose of the guide tube is to gently pull the area of the skin about to be punctured a bit more taut, so that the tip of the needle goes in easier.

DIY Acupuncture Needles, Sterility and Reusing Needles When TSHTF
While it would be wisest to procure an ample supply of acupuncture needles before TSHTF, there really isn’t anything magical about the needles acupuncturists use. They are simply threads of metal wire, usually stainless steel. Under dire circumstances, you could make acupuncture needles easily. If need be, you literally could use sewing needles from your sewing kit or a spool of thin wire from the machine shop.

I have personally made and used acupuncture needles (on non-litigious leaning family members) out of steel wire I found in the garage, and leftover electrical copper wire I had. Should you find yourself in such a situation requiring you to make your own, look for thin, springy, flexible wire. Wire will typically have the diameter printed on the spool. You’ll want to use something in the ballpark of .15mm to .30mm. Using anything larger than that will not make you any new friends but can be used in a pinch. Snip the wire to the length of about 1 ½” and use needle nose pliers to create a small loop on one end to prevent the needle from getting lost by slipping too deep into the muscle. You can also use a piece of tape wrapped around the top ½ inch to give it a more comfortable handle for yourself. Otherwise, you can give it a more sturdy handle by soldering a few additional treads of wire around the center main wire needle. Once you have the handle on, you will want to buff the tip with some emery cloth to give it a bit of a sharper tip. What I have done is simply draw the emery cloth in single strokes away from myself towards the tip of the needle. I doubt that I could ever get the tip as surgically sharp as the manufactured ones, but its somewhat close.

Once the needle is honed, you’ll want to sterilize them before use. One option is to bake them in an oven for 30 minutes at 356° F (180°C). I’m pretty “old school”, so I have even used the “direct flame” method of sterilizing, which is holding the needle over an open flame until the metal glows red. Once it cools off, it is ready for use. [JWR Adds This Warning: DO NOT use the flame from matches or a wood fire for sterilizing needles. This will coat them with carbon and you will then be inadvertently permanently tattooing your patient!!! Use only a clean gas flame from a propane or natural gas burner, or from a disposable butane lighter.] Obviously, this method has major disadvantages (such as weakening the integrity of the wire and potentially leads to breakage) which I won’t otherwise get into here for brevity. Another back woods disinfection technique is soaking in bleach or alcohol or by boiling the needles in water for 20 minutes. Of the three options, boiling is considered the most effective way to disinfect. Just keep in mind that the greatest danger to a patient would be person-to-person blood-borne pathogens from reusing needles amongst several people. So never do that.

A word about the risk of infections with acupuncture. Statistically, acupuncture is THE most commonly performed invasive medical procedure in the world; Yet is considered the therapy with the lowest incidence of adverse medical events. Approaching the range of one in a million insertions causing a problem requiring further medical care. Problems that arise may be a local infection (0.01% rate of incidence), short term nerve injury (0.01% chance), systemic infection (0.001%), punctured lung (0.001%) or a broken needle (0.001%).

Those odds are pretty good statistics compared to our modern western medical model which is so powerful that we all run a lifetime risk of one in four of spending some time in the hospital due to an issue caused by that standard medical care such as pharmaceuticals or doctor error (at least that’s what the CDC says). Even if you have a very ample supply of ibuprofen in your medical cache, keep in mind that daily use of ibuprofen doubles ones chance of having a stroke. Having a stroke is not a good thing, especially after TSHTF.

In my practice, the most common adverse reaction is a bruise that develops when I don’t “close the acupuncture point” after removing the needle. You “close the point” by momentarily pressing the point with a cotton ball, Q-tip or finger immediately after removing the needle while the body quickly closes the microscopic wound through its clotting process. Acupuncture is safe enough for routine use for a lifetime (as was typically done by members of the Chinese Imperial court for millennia and by millions to westerners today).

It is also possible to clean, re-sterilize and re-use needles. Although I have never seen any special “reusable” acupuncture needles sold here in the US, In China, even today, you can find hospitals and individual practitioners alike, reusing acupuncture needles. They simply, wipe off the needles, wash them, buff and hone them with a sharpening cloth and then re-sterilize them, much the same way a dentist re-sterilize and reuses his tools. But I do admit that I have a very deep hesitation to reuse needles between people, regardless of how sterile they come out of the autoclave (And never would in my current professional practice… with needles costing just two cents each, there is absolutely no reason to in this modern day and age). There is the “ick” factor, regardless of blood-borne pathogen concerns.

So the moral of the story is that using fresh, unused, disposable single use needles made in a factory under strict sterile conditions is best. By picking up a few boxes of needles before TSHTF and throwing them into your medical kit, you will be set for years to come.

The DIY Low Back Pain Protocol
There are several approaches to effectively address lower back pain. The most obvious would seem to be inserting the needle into the painful area. You simply find the “knot” and insert a needle half an inch deep. You just slip it in. Easy. Simple. Let the person rest quietly for 20-40 minutes and then remove the needle. From this pure scenario comes a million variations of possible treatment protocols from a trained acupuncturist.

In general, you will want to use several needles in tandem for best result. Let’s use a scenario where a compatriot strains his back while chopping and stacking wood for the winter. If you are familiar with back sprains, you’ll know that they can be quite debilitating… sometimes for weeks. To perform acupuncture, you would have your patient lay face down or on his side (if laying face down is too uncomfortable) and locate the problem area. Most often, lower back pain involves the muscles around the second to the fifth vertebras (right around the belt line). The approach I find most effective is to simply insert 6 needles into the muscle two finger widths away from the spine on either side. For simplicities sake, I would suggest that you put 3 needles on both sides of the spine, regardless of which side the pain is on. So ideally, if the person has pain at the level of the third lumbar vertebra, you would want to put a needle two fingers width away from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebras on both sides. You just slip them right in. Really; they insert so easy if they are good needles. Once you try it, you’ll be amazed at how easy they are to insert.

Once they are inserted, you’ll want to “wiggle” or “shimmy” them deeper to a depth of about a half inch to a full inch. Don’t worry; on a healthy sized male, there is at least 3-4 inches of muscle you would have to go through before getting to the organs inside (if you have ever seen a whole pork loin at the grocery store, you’d get some idea of how beefy the back muscles are). So that is 6 needles total.

With muscle pain, the locations don’t have to be exact. Some practitioners just feel around in the local area and look for the most tender or tightest spots. And that is where they place the needles. But for some degree of organization, here are the main three “official” acupuncture points most commonly used;

1. “Shen Shu” (Bladder 23) Located two fingers lateral from the spinal process of the 2nd  lumbar vertebra (which is the second vertebra not connected to a rib). Typically located at the highest point on the paraspinal muscle. This point can also be easily found by feeling for the natural thinnest part of the waistline (if you go feeling along the sides of the torso; at the level typically below the bottom ribs and above the iliac crest of the hip bones). The point is at that level but close to the spine. This point can also be acupunctured for urinary issues, fatigue, lung issues such as asthma and menstrual issues.

2. “Qi Hai Shu” (Bladder 24) Located two fingers width away from the 3rd lumbar vertebra. Typically located at the highest point on the paraspinal muscle.

3. “Da Chang Shu” (Bladder 25) Located two fingers width away from the 4th Lumbar vertebra. Typically located at the highest point on the paraspinal muscle.

Here is a link to photo of these points to aid in locating them.

Additionally; For even better effect, you should also place a needle a half inch to a whole inch deep into the middle of the popliteal crease located in the depression at the back of the knees midway between the tendons. This point is called “Bladder 40”. A final, very effective point is “Kidney 3” which is located in the spaces between the ankle bone and the Achilles tendon. The flesh there really isn’t all that thick, so the needle only needles to be placed ¼” or so.

These “distal points” many not make sense to most readers, but just please temporarily suspend your disbelieve that an acupuncture point on the back of the knee or on the ankle could help back pain. They do. Many of the most effective points in an acupuncturist’s repertoire are located away from the area of complaint.

The Million Dollar Points
Another effective approach in treating low back pain is utilizing the 3 “million dollar points” for back pain on the hands. “Ling Ku, Da Bai and Zhong Bai”, when used together can be all one needs for instant improvement in cases of back pain. I have literally seen patients who come into the office bent over in pain and holding onto furniture and walls to keep from falling over, walk out of the office 80% better after using just these three acupuncture points on the back of the hand for a half hour. The locations are easy to find, but again, I encourage you to look at the picture online should there be any confusion as to their location. I recommend applying these points on both hands.

1. “Ling Ku”; Located on the hand in the depression just distal to the junction of the first and second metacarpal bones. If you feel the meaty webbing which is between your thumb and index finger, you’ll simply feel for the spot where the two metacarpal bones meet. This spot alone is commonly used for sciatic pain, back pain, headaches or just pain throughout the body. It is a very commonly used point in most acupuncture practices. Insert the needle 1/3 to ½ inch.

2. “Da Bai”; is located close by. It is located just a bit more distally (towards the finger tip) of ling ku, in the depression just before the head of the second metacarpal bone which is the index fingers knuckle. Insert the needle ¼ inch or so.

3. “Zhong Bai”; is located in the depression on the back of the hand just distal to the fourth and fifth metacarpal joints. So if you feel for the short trench on the back of the hand between the bones of the pinky and ring finger, slide up to where the longer bones meet. The needle goes into the fleshy soft spot about a half inch deep but not completely through.

Below is a link to an image showing these acupuncture point locations.
http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o616/098123acupuncture/LingKuDaiBaiZhongBai001_zps447283a8.jpg

You can either do a “back treatment” or a “front treatment” since it’s hard to hit all the points mentioned simultaneously. If your treatment is just the three hand points and the ankle points, you can have the patient sit in a chair or lay on their back. I know it’s hard to believe, but you really do NOT have to do acupuncture in the local area to get great results. Once all the needles are in place, the patient should be allowed some quiet time for about a half hour before taking the needles out. Since the needles are now considered “bio-hazardous waste”, be sure to dispose of them properly. While state regulations vary, in my state here, sharps can be disposed of into municipal garbage as long as they are disposed of in a hard sided container such as an empty laundry detergent jug. If you have questions about your state regs, just ask a diabetic who takes insulin. They will be able to tell you what they do with their used needle sharps containers once they are full.
           
Good Luck
With acupuncture being so affordable (free) and easy to use, gaining a basic understanding of its use could be quite valuable in a post SHTF world either for yourself or as a tradable service. I hope this is the first of many articles showing how easy acupuncture can be to learn and apply for very common medical conditions. What you take away from this article could potentially be a lifesaver for someone otherwise debilitated with pain.

A Few Reminders to Keep In Mind When Providing Acupuncture;

1. Acupuncture shouldn’t hurt. If it does, you may have landed on one of the billion thread-thin nerve ending or an artery, so simply remove the needle and replace it 1/10th of an inch away.
2. Sterility of the needles is priority number one. Most practitioners will disinfect the puncture site before insertion of the needles with 70% alcohol.
3. Once the needles are in place, you can either leave them be or feel free to “wiggle and jiggle and thrust up and down” until the patient experiences a mild sensation in that area. For some this “arrival of the qi” feels like pressure (either bearing down or pushing up), a warmth or mild tingling, etc. Some practitioners disagree over how important or not getting this sensation is for patients. Some argue that this “DeQi” sensation confirms that the needles will be effective. Other acupuncturists will argue that too much stimulation is counterproductive. To be honest; even after 10+ years and seeing thousands of patients, I still can’t make a determination on this. I typically do NOT try to produce this “DeQi” sensation in patients unless they are elderly or the acupuncture is not producing quick enough results after several sessions. Try to find the answer on your own with experience.
4. Leave the needles in place for ½ hour to 45 minutes while the patient rests quietly. Chatting and “visiting” decreases effectiveness. Just relax for God’s sake.
5. The first session is the least effective. Just like taking that first antibiotic pill. Subsequent sessions build off of the prior sessions.
6. Acupuncture typically does not give instantaneous relief. For some patients, it does, but they are the exception. It usually takes hours for patients to begin to see improvement. It seems to take about three days for the full effect of a single treatment to kick in. Because of that, doing acupuncture every day or every other day is ideal. Three times a day is possible in the most extreme situations.
7. Acupuncture is a medical therapy. Don’t expect Hollywood miracles. A single session is almost never enough. Like going to the gym or doing a course of antibiotics, the effects are accumulative over the course of treatment. It is not uncommon to treat a chronic pain patient 12 sessions.
8. Remember; approximately 15% of people will not respond to acupuncture no matter what the practitioner does. In my practice, I encourage new patients to do at least three sessions to get an idea of how well they may respond. What I have found is that if they show no signs of improvement after 3 sessions, they fall into that category. On the other hand; 15% of people respond remarkably well to this form of therapy. These are the ones you hear about who get a single session of acupuncture and the bad back they had for 10 years goes away instantly. Since acupuncture is free, if a patient doesn’t see results after 3 sessions, you can still encourage them to do 3 more. They may be just a “late bloomer”.
9. Have the patient also look for secondary areas of improvement. Since acupuncture is improving function and circulation throughout the body, most patients see improvement is other areas of health. A patient may come in for rotator cuff pain but report that they also saw a marked improvement in sleep, digestion, allergies or other ailment.
10. The exact biological explanation of how acupuncture works is still out, but it may simply be explained that acupuncture kick-starts the healing response and triggers various natural chemical responses from within the body. It triggers the body to produce natural pain relievers, endorphins, muscle relaxants and anti-inflamatories, among other chemicals and hormones.

Rose R. owns and operates a Midwestern acupuncture clinic currently treating 20 patients each day. Rose has operated this sole proprietorship for 14 years.

JWR Adds: Be forewarned that you should not experiment with do-it-yourself acupuncture without proper training. Train only under a fully-qualified practitioner. Even with sub-millimeter diameter needles, things can go wrong if you are clumsy or if you don't pay attention to hygiene--including subdermal bleeds, nerve damage, inadvertent tattooing, or inadvertent infections.

Dear Sir,
In response to Emma C.'s article on Fabric Choices in Survival Clothing, I have two suggestions of where to find fabric at exceptional prices.  The first is the Fashion Fabric Club web site.

I have found wonderful wool there for 50-75% what I found at other sites.  I was very pleased with my purchase and they have a great return policy.  Although the disadvantage is not being able to see the fabric in person, it was worth the savings to me.

The other location is Zinck's Fabric Outlet, just east of Berlin, Ohio (in Amish Country). 

They have great prices, a huge amount of clearance fabrics, and a large selection (but no wool).  They also give a discount if you buy what is left on the bolt (be it 1-20 yards).  If you make a trip to visit this store, don't forget about Lehman's Hardware and The Ashery Country Store is a great bulk food store. 

Be  blessed and thanks for a great blog site! - Lacey M.

G.G. flagged this: Household electricity bills skyrocket

Also from G.G.: The Great California Exodus: A Closer Look

In the red: From Stockton to Scranton, cities are going broke

Kevin S. sent: EU heavyweights call for radical foreign and defence policy overhaul

Items from The Economatrix:

Financial Markets Tumble On News Of Unrest In Greece And Spain

How High Oil Prices Will Permanently Cap Economic Growth

Inflation Boogeyman Is Becoming Germany's Worst Nightmare

Nobel Winner Stiglitz Says Time Running Out For Europe's Leaders

Gerald Celente-The First Great War of the 21st Century Has Begun

Some good commentary at Joel's Gulch: Thus conscience doth make honest men of us all.

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Bosko sent this: 15 Fascinating Observation Towers

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Diana V. spotted this: Study Reveals That 1 in 10 Teens Suffers from Liver Disease. Eat healthy foods, folks!

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Over at Backdoor Survival: The Coming Collapse of the Internet

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F.G. sent: Five-star survival: The floating Ark hotel that will protect you against a Noah-style flood. JWR's Comments: Call me Mr. Dubious with a Capital D. This looks like a clear case of marketeers with computer-generated conceptual drawing tools run amok. For starters, it seems seems to lack propulsion to keep this glorified blivet pointed into the wind and to prevent it from going sideways in wave troughs during a storm. And the hexagon pattern on the hull might look sexy, but if those are individual panels then the drag would be considerable and it would surely be a nightmare to keep sealed. And with a draft that deep there are few ports that could accommodate it. What on Earth were they thinking? Most architects should stick to terrestrial designs.

"In the long run, the greatest weapon of mass destruction is stupidity. - Thomas Sowell

My sincere thanks to everyone for making the Book Bomb Day for my latest book, Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse such a success. The book peaked at #4 overall, and #1 in the Action & Adventure category. I hope that you enjoy reading it.

Here are some some booksellers that stock Founders (in alphabetical order--I'm not stating any preference, folks--feel free to order based on the best price, or from your favorite seller.):

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

Powell's

Safecastle. (Their Buyer's Club price is lower than Amazon's.)

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September 26th is the birthday of the late Jack LaLanne. (Born 1914, died January 23, 2011.) What a guy. He only stood 5' 7" but he was a very big man, in my estimation.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

The queue for Round 42 is full but Round 43 begins on October 1st, so please start writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

I got a call from my mother the other day. She is the mother of six, grandmother to twelve and great-grandmother of three children.  She had just returned from a visit to one of my sibling’s homes.  She said, “You are right!  They are serious about this prepping stuff.  Tell me what to do.”  My mother’s revelation has been a long time in coming.  She is a devout Christian and a Bible teacher.  She believes that Jesus will return and scoop us all up to heaven, hopefully before the tribulation.  She is what she calls a “pre-trib” [rapture] believer.  I have had many conversations with her citing examples from scripture about how God has allowed His children to suffer.  She is now onboard now and wants advice.  This takes some analysis.

The first evaluation needs to be of her and her husband’s circumstances.  Where do they live?  Are there financial or mobility issues?  Are there health issues? What is the best strategy for them – to prepare to evacuate or shelter in place?  They live in a retirement community in a highly populated urban area.  There is little chance they could evacuate during a crisis.  Dad has health issues and mother is getting up in years and finding it difficult to do daily tasks.  The retirement community in which they live has numerous emergency preparedness initiatives underway, and the community center was recently designated as a Red Cross emergency shelter.  This is good and bad.  We, when deciding where to live, rejected locations near potential emergency shelters due to the possibility of an influx of disaster victims.  However, the residents in that community are happy to be preparing the best that they can.  I’ve tried to get them to move out of that area and either close to me or move in with me, to no avail.  I also asked my son-in-law, a devoted prepper who lives near them, to promise me that if evacuation were necessary, he would pick them up and get them out of there along with his little family.  That is the best that I can do for now.

The best strategy for them, in light of the above circumstances, is to shelter in, understanding that this strategy will only work for a short-term emergency.  When mother asked me how she can begin to prepare, the first words out of my mouth were “Water.  You must stock up on water.  You can go without food, but you cannot go without water.”  “But there is no place to store anything”, she said, “our place is small”.  I explained to her that she needed to get creative about storage space.  I am quite familiar with their little condo at about 1400 sq. ft.  She has numerous closets and an enclosed patio that adds additional square footage.  I told her to line her closet floors with gallon water bottles behind the shoes – there is plenty of space there.  I explained that water has a shelf life and she needs to pay attention to using the water she buys and replenishing her stock, saving the plastic gallon containers, which she can place in her storage shed in a tightly tied plastic bag for later use.  Advice:  Every week you go to the grocery store, pick up 4-5 gallons of water, and get some help with shopping.  (Fortunately, I have daughter that lives near mom and helps her on a routine basis).

Now about food.  Many promote buying a year’s worth of freeze-dried food, but most people don’t have a couple thousand dollars to throw at food storage all at once.  This is true for my folks.  Dad has Alzheimer’s and heart problems, so in an emergency situation mother will need to pay attention to keeping his routine as normal as possible.  This could include having Dad’s favorite foods on standby.  As an example, Dad likes his chocolate milk.  Why not stock up on some instant chocolate milk mixes that only require water to reconstitute?  For herself, she can stock up on instant coffee and powdered milk.  We discussed the list of favorite foods because comfort foods can be important when everything around you is going wrong.  Comfort foods satisfy the need for some sense of normalcy.  People who suffer from Alzheimer’s are easily upset when the routine changes.  We also discussed the need for caloric intake.  Instead of buying “lo cal, heart healthy” foods, stock up on high fat, high protein, high fiber foods.  Canned foods that come to mind are beans in all varieties, some that are seasoned already.  I suggested stocking up on canned goods with “pop tops” – those cans that only require pulling on the tab to open, rather than relying on a manual can opener.  Soup cans often come in this configuration.  Mother has issues with her hands due to arthritis and it is difficult for her to use a manual can opener, even though it can be done.  Many of the food items she will need to stock up on, will require the use of a manual can opener.  Does she have one?  Is it easy to use?  If not, put getting a better can opener on the shopping list.  We discussed going to a local “scratch and dent” food outlet for stocking up purposes.  She knew of one nearby and made plans with my daughter to take a trip over.  Advice:  Stock up on canned goods of high calorie, high fiber, high protein content, preferably with “pop top” cans.  Stock up on dried foods, such as instant rice, noodles, oatmeal, and the like, that only require water to reconstitute.

Now about heat and cooking.  She lives in a relatively mild climate – no snow or howling winds to be concerned with.  She won’t have to worry about keeping warm other than dressing warm on chilly mornings.  She will have to worry about cooking or just heating water for reconstituting dry foods and warming up canned foods.  She doesn’t have an outside yard or outside patio, so cooking on a grill or little stove won’t work.  We discussed the use of Sterno fuel cans – the type you would use under a chafing dish.  Sterno fuel cans can be purchased everywhere.  The ones I have burn for about 2.5 hours each.  Sterno brand cooking fuel is non-toxic, biodegradable and water soluble – fairly safe for an older couple to make use of in a small condo.  You can pick up a six-pack of 2 hr. burning cans on Amazon for about twenty bucks.  If you think about using one can per day, you will need to invest about $100 a month for this type of fuel – a little pricey, but we are strategizing about the best and safest approach for an older couple.  A little shopping around for the best pricing may be in order.  Additionally, if she doesn’t have a chafing dish she can use, she can purchase a small Sterno Single Burner Folding Stove on Amazon for under ten bucks.  Advice: Stock up on sterno fuel cans.

Other supplies include paper and plastic products such as toilet paper, paper towels, and paper plates and cups, trash bags, and disposable hygiene wipes (“baby wipes”).  I explained to her that if a disruption in the water supply should occur, she will not be able to flush a toilet or wash dishes, but she could place a plastic bag on the toilet seats to “catch” waste and then move it out of the house.  We didn’t discuss what it would be like if the short term emergency turned into a long term emergency and waste disposal became a much bigger problem.  We are only talking about short-term strategies here.  Advice: Stock up on paper and plastic products.

Medicines and medical supplies:  She has a little first aid kit, but the biggest concern will be running out of medications.  Her insurance and pharmacy supply her with a 90-day supply of medications.  I advised her to get an additional 90-day supply so that her supply would last for 6 months, even if she has to go out of pocket on that additional 90 days.  Some insurance companies will pay for an additional 90-day supply if you explain that you will be traveling out of the country, which they used to do, now not so much.  If she were to be in an emergency situation, forecasted to last longer than 90 days, they could take a pill every other day and take their chances.  If there is a serious medical issue, their retirement community has onsite emergency services and if that were not available, prayer and God’s provision are truly the only things one can count on.  Advice:  Stock up on medications.   

Security and Safety:  This is a sticky one.  I believe that retirement communities, especially in the nicer urban areas will be targets.  I spoke to her about self-defense knowing that she has never used a gun and didn’t own one.  Dad used to shoot and taught his boys how to shoot, but his weapons were long ago given to his sons.  One of my sisters has been urging her to get a small handgun.  In the meantime, both my son-in-laws live nearby, are well versed in weaponry and one is in law enforcement, and if need be, they can provide some protection.  All of my children have been trained to shoot and own weapons, so I think, as a family we need to get great gramma up to speed and take her out to the shooting range.  Fortifying their condo is a bigger discussion and suffice it to say, one well aimed shot will discourage looters and marauders.  I have a deep concern that in a longer term emergency, my parents and many others will be shipped off to FEMA camps, but I am hoping we can evacuate them if it looks like things are going in that direction.  Advice to self:  Get gramma armed and trained.

Those are the basics for a short-term emergency: water, food, heating and cooking, personal hygiene, medications, security, and safety.  I realize that many retired people are on a fixed income and stocking up, especially on medications, is a financial burden.  I suggest that for those of you who have parents or grandparents in that situation, you step forward with the cash to get them better prepared.  After all, think about what they did for you all your growing up years.  If you are willing and committed, you should make that trip, that visit, and do all the shopping for them, get them situated appropriately for their situation.  It will give you and them peace of mind.  If you can’t do it in person, stock them up via automated deliveries.
Using Amazon’s subscribe and save feature, as posted by another reader using J.W.R.’s amazon link is a great way to have things delivered to the house on a regular schedule, which saves an older person the stress and physical exertion of making large shopping trips.  Mom frequently purchases from Amazon, so she could simply shop online and have things delivered.  The following list of items can be found on Amazon and are offered under the subscribe and save feature.  The downside of this type of shopping is it is a great deal more costly than buying in bulk yourself, and canning and storing food.  However, this article is geared towards taking care of the “old folks” who may or may not have the ability to do this themselves.  
The Weekly or Monthly Shopping List for Great Gramma (All pricing is rounded up or down and does not always include a brand name.  This list is to give you an idea of what you can have delivered weekly or monthly for gramma via Amazon.  You can shop around for better deals.):
1.        6 pak of sterno fuel cans = ~$20
2.        16 pack of paper towels = ~$20
3.        24 pack of toilet paper = ~$11
4.        40 count kitchen garbage bags with odor control = $8.75
5.        350 count Baby wipes = ~$11.30
6.        Prepared foods – choices too numerous to list – you will have to experiment.  Search on “subscribe and save” on Amazon.  An example is Betty Crocker Helper Complete Meals, Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits, 24.8-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6 ) for $18.41.  These complete meals only require a little milk (use reconstituted dried milk) and/or water and a way to heat them up.  The meat is included.  After searching quite a bit, I concluded that one should expect to pay about $2-$3 per a prepared food item of good quality.  For an older couple, who generally eat less, and need something that is very easy, the Betty Crocker line of complete meals may be a good compromise and will feed 2 people who don’t have big appetites.  No refrigeration or microwaving required.
7.        Hershey's 2% Chocolate Milk, 21- 8 Ounce Aseptic Boxes = $ 19.39
8.        Needless to say, water is not something I recommend you buy through Amazon unless you are looking for specialty bottled water.  Spring water is available in gallon containers at Wal-Mart for about $.88 a gallon.
9.        And so on…
The list above was to give you an idea of what you can do with automatic deliveries to an older parent or grandparent.  For about $100 - $200 a month, you can set up automatic delivery to their home and get them a lot closer to being prepared.  Don’t buy things that require a microwave (think grid down).  If you are local to your parents or grandparents, it makes much more sense to shop at big box stores, Wal-Mart, or a local “scratch and dent” grocery outlet.  Maybe a combination of paying them a visit for the purposes of helping them stock up and having regular deliveries scheduled to them is the right combination.  In all cases, I’m glad mom is finally onboard and ready to move in the right direction.  
In the meantime, my directive is to enlist the help of the bigger family in getting mom better prepped to defend the casa if need be.  This should be fun, if not hilarious.

Textiles surround us every day, yet they probably aren’t the first thing to come to mind when gathering survival gear. A quick web search gives lackluster results, focusing more on what kinds of tactical gear would be appropriate than the fabrics and types of clothing to look for and why. Obviously what to look for is based on several things. Do you live in a hot or cold climate? Will you be staying in your home, in a bunker, or traveling around? What’s your budget? And most of all, what makes you comfortable? If you live in cotton, a tight lycra jumpsuit under your clothing may be too much to get used to, spur of the moment.

I’ve been sewing for ten years now and have learned a lot about what fabrics are appropriate for certain garments. There are some commonly known rules, like wool will keep you warm and cotton will cool you down but there are myriads of textile choices beyond those. Clothing is very personal and what works for one person may not for the next so I’m going to provide several suggestions for what to look for in terms of fabric and functionality, starting from the bottom and working our way up.

Shoes:
Footwear is integral and wearing them in beforehand will prevent pain and blisters at a most unwelcome time. I’m not an expert in the materials used to make footwear so I will share what I know from experience. The most common of all footwear is the sneaker but picking one out can require some research. For a ton of walking or running, running shoes would be the best choice. It is important to learn whether you experience overpronation (high arch), underpronation (flat foot), or neutral pronation to reduce foot pain and provide proper support. I experienced a lot of foot pain in my old running shoes before I learned that I have severely overpronated feet. Now I have such a good pair of sneakers that I don’t have to use insoles for cushioning like I used to. Cross trainers are another choice of sneaker for people who may be doing a lot of jagged movements, jumping, or climbing. Keep in mind that running shoes last for about 300 miles before they should be replaced (up to 500 miles if you have a low body weight).

Boots are another option with multiple choices. Combat boots would be a tried and true boot. My husband, who is in the military, finds his issued ones to be uncomfortable but there are plenty of people who find them to be comfortable. I would definitely suggest trying on all types of footwear that you are interested in before making a purchase. Waterproof shoes, commonly referred to as ‘wellies’ [short for the Wellington brand name], would be a great choice for areas with a ton of rain and water or as a spare shoe. Snow boots or boots with wool insulation are excellent for cold areas. I have a pair of men’s leather boots with wool insulation that I wear while shoveling three feet of snow and they keep me just as warm as my Carhartt overalls. And they were purchased at JC Penney, so you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get a quality shoe, just do your research.

Last but not least are sandals. Some of you may think I’m off my rocker for that suggestion, so bear with me. If you live in a warm climate you may want to avoid boots and sneakers all together. Or maybe you want a second pair of lightweight shoes in your backpack. Or maybe you love the freedom of a naked foot. For whatever reason, a pair of sandals may work for you. Look for one with grooves on the bottom for traction as well as wide straps- no flip flops. Also be sure to bend the shoe before buying. If you can bend it in half it doesn’t offer enough cushion or support.
And don’t forget to stash some extra shoelaces.

Socks:
Chances are you are going to need some socks to go with your shoes, even with sandals. For socks you’ll want either CoolMax or wool or even both. At the very least look for synthetic fibers (which you may want to look for in a lot of the clothes) because they wick away moisture and increase breathability. Avoid cotton, especially if you don’t think you’ll be washing your clothing often, because it collects moisture and increases your chance for fungal infections. CoolMax is a polyester blend that wicks away moisture and dries quickly.

Besides synthetics, wool is going to come up again and again primarily for its ability to both repel and attract moisture as well as heat retention. Wool does take more care than other fabrics in that it should be washed in cold water and lay flat to dry. However, it doesn’t need to be washed as often as cotton or polyester. Which may be a moot point, depending on the state of the world. If you live in a place where cold days outnumber warm you may want to invest in both wool and synthetic blend socks, wearing the lighter CoolMax type socks as the inner layer and wool as the outer for extra warmth and, depending on your footwear, comfort.

Pants:
I’ll break this one down by three different geographical locations: (A) areas that often receive a lot of snow at one time from October until March with much less precipitation the rest of the year, (B) areas that receive fair amounts of precipitation throughout the year and middling temperature, (C) and areas that receive little precipitation with temperatures regularly over 100 degrees. I realize this doesn’t cover all the climate variances- it’s meant to be more of a jumping off point.
(A): Wool pants with polypropylene long johns/tights are going to be your MO. Columbia makes a quality wool pant that comes in camo (which I’ll touch on more later). Avoid a nylon pant as nylon, if it catches on fire, will likely fuse to your skin since it is petroleum based and highly flammable. In comparison, wool is slow to catch fire and is often used in fire blankets.  Polypropylene long underwear is very lightweight allowing for a large range of movement while providing warmth in subzero temperatures. It has little water absorption and acts as a barrier to water. Though it isn’t very flammable it can melt in temperatures over 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Polypro also retains odors without consistent washing but dries the quickest of any fabric. A polypro pant or leggings during the summer months with a wool pant over it in winter would be a strong choice for the area.
Cotton would be a poor choice in this scenario due to its water absorbency, flammability, and slow drying time. If it gets wet in the winter you’ll need to seek shelter and warmth immediately since it will no longer insulate you. The adage “cotton kills” is appropriate in area (A). Other fabrics to avoid include tencel, rayon, neoprene, silk, and bamboo.
(B): Lightweight wool or nylon will serve you well. With all the wet weather the lightweight and waterproof qualities of nylon outweigh risk of flammability. (Water repellant jackets are made from nylon.) LL Bean makes a quality cargo pant that converts into shorts and comes with insect barrier ingrained in the fabric. When it comes to clothes, loose layers will be helpful in keeping mosquitoes at bay, as opposed to skintight that allows the bugs to get closer to your skin and penetrate through the fabric. Lightweight wool is also great- it won’t weigh you down as much as thick wool while still providing the benefits of it.
With all the precipitation you’ll especially want to avoid the same fabrics as area (A): cotton, tencel, rayon, neoprene, silk, and bamboo, among other synthetics including polyester/cotton blends.
(C): Cotton, linen, and silk will all keep you cool in the sweltering heat though they also have their disadvantages. Cotton will absorb sweat easily which can make some people uncomfortable. You can always moisten the fabric to help keep cool and stave off feelings of griminess from sweating. (Not advisable if you’re trying to conserve water.) Linen is porous as well as absorbent which allows heat to escape between the fibers. It is stiffer than fabric so it won’t cling heavily to the body when wet like cotton will and is a common pant textile. Silk is very lightweight, thin, and soft which women like myself can appreciate. However, the sun will break down the fibers quicker than with cotton or linen, so silk pants aren’t the best choice for long term wear. CoolMax type blends are also available.
Lightweight wool can also be a good choice depending on how hot you get. I have a pair of wool shorts that I wore around Hawaii that, depending on how hot it was, would become itchy and uncomfortable despite the lining.

Undergarments:
Cotton, cotton, cotton ladies (and gents)! Moisture collecting in your nether regions from synthetic fabrics is far more likely than cotton to become a sweaty breeding ground for bacteria. And avoid anything too tight. You’ll be better off going commando than sporting too-tight underwear. Don’t forget about extra bras as well, Wacoal makes an amazing underwire sports bra that goes up from an A to an H cup. I wear them quite often and have always felt comfortable (and I wear an H, so I understand how hard it is to find a supportive sports bra).

Shirts:
Once again the fabrics you want are going to reflect the area in which you reside. The rules for pants pretty much transfer over to shirts. Wool/cashmere tops, including turtlenecks, make for a nice layer below a coat or jacket in the cold. Personally I can’t wear turtlenecks or cashmere and find that this is the one area that I have to go against my own advice, living in a cold climate. In a survival situation I plan to find myself in three layers of shirts: a tank top, a tee shirt, and a long sleeve shirt, all made from cotton or lightweight wool. I’ll place a lot of reliance on my coat (which is waterproof and windproof, made by Gersemi) to protect me from precipitation. I keep a spare 100% wool one made by the fashion company Nine West. There is a very limited range in temperature that I find comfortable so the layers will allow me to have more flexibility. I’ve had good experiences with cotton and wool shirts from Banana Republic, the Gap, and JC Penney among others.
The same thing goes for area (B) residents. Cotton layers can work if you are careful about staying dry and preserving layers in cool temperatures. Wool or nylon are still great choices as well. Those in area (C) can still benefit from a long sleeve shirt despite the heat if it has UPF, especially if you burn easily and don’t have access to sunscreen or other protection. Otherwise cotton, linen, and silk once again.

Accessories:
Here I’m going to cover hats, belts, and gloves but keep in mind there are plenty of other accessories to consider including umbrellas, sunglasses, scarves, watches, and jewelry (useful for bartering on the go). When it comes to headgear the balaclava can’t be beat in terms of versatility and size. Balaclavas work for every climate; a knitted wool balaclava will protect from the winter’s cold while one with UPF will help protect delicate skin from sunny rays. They come in a variety of materials and colors, can be worn several ways, and take up little space.
Two types of belts that can be useful depending on your needs are paracord belts and tactical belts. Paracord belts work just like the bracelets, being made from 550 paracord that unravels to function in numerous survival capacities. They can be made or purchased. Tactical belts come in different materials, typically leather and webbing, and are generally useful for attaching weaponry. There are also cartridge belts to hold ammunition.

For gloves, look for leather in the palm and fingers. A really padded glove can be useful in moving and carrying large objects or heavy outdoor work but can make manual dexterity difficult. To achieve a wider range of movements, like in shooting for instance, I recommend a shooting glove made with leather and thinsulate.
First impressions could be vital so I’m going to spend a moment on image before getting to sewing and purchasing fabric. Camo and earth tone clothing are generally safe bets and, if being deserted or lost is a concern, a bright colored flag could be thrown in a pack or sewn into a coat. Keep in mind that being decked out in the best of gear can attract unwanted attention from people who would like what you have or give an impression of skill that you may not possess. Women may want to dress in more manly clothing and consider a short, pixie type haircut. In a chaotic, desperate situation people may do things they wouldn’t in normal society and women and children, being seen as a whole as weaker than men, would be automatic targets. (Unfair or not, it is what it is so I myself plan to chop off my hair to gain as much of an advantage and become as anonymous as possible).

When it comes to sewing, once you know the basics it really is not difficult to master. If you are just trying to make basic clothing you don’t need to have spent months learning techniques you won’t need. The first garment I ever made was a pair of pajama pants with an elastic waist. I taught myself how to sew them by reading the instructions on the pattern. Granted, it took me three times as long as it would now, but the pattern and instructions were so simple that any kind of extra assistance from the internet or books was unnecessary.

There are a few things you should collect if you do plan to sew your own garments. If you are going to get a sewing machine, no matter how tiny, learn to use it before you stow it in a basement or bunker, even if you only use it for a minute. Patterns for every type of clothing can be purchased. Easy Stitch ‘N Save by McCall’s and It’s so Easy by Simplicity are two collections by big pattern makers than can often be found for .99 cents or $1.99 at JoAnn Fabrics. (Just check the flyers for sales.) The garments are simple, taking only a few hours. However- and this is important-cutting out the patterns is sometimes more time consuming than making the actual garment. To save time and help yourself become familiar with clothing construction I’d recommend cutting out the patterns ahead of time. There are also plenty of unisex patterns and patterns for children along with ones for household items, shoes, and gloves.
As far as fabric goes, it can be purchased by the yard or in bulk by the bolt. Prices vary widely. I usually purchase any 100% cotton fabrics from JoAnn Fabrics, fabrics.com, or various local quilting shops. For wool, I try to purchase it from the Dorr Mill Store and Pendleton’s Woolen Mill store but that can be expensive. Some Wal-Marts sell fabric but their selection is rife with polyester and rayon blends so be sure to check before you buy. And don’t forget about notions. You’ll need needles (both hand and machine if you have one), pins, several spools of thread (a half to one spool per project is a fair estimate so you can do repairs later as well), extra bobbins if you have a machine, dressmaker’s chalk, scissors, buttons, zippers, elastic, belt buckles, and no-sew glue. Check each pattern for specific needs; they’ll also tell you how much fabric you’ll need to purchase for each size.

[JWR Adds: Be sure to check your local thrift store regularly. You can often find wool blankets, sweaters, and even Scottish kilts that can be used as-is, or re-purposed. (Traditional kilts have eight yards or tartan wool!) It is not unusual to find genuine Pendleton wool shirts and merino sweaters for less than $5. One trick is to run your hand down the racks, feeling the textures of the sleeves as you walk by. With some practice you can learn to detect wool with just a touch. Once you've developed this skill, there is no need to read labels except to confirm what your sense of touch has already told you.]

Overall you need to consider what’s best for you. If you strongly believe you’ll be out on the road don’t go out and purchase a sewing machine and bolts of fabric that won’t see use. Focus that money and time on finding pieces that will last a long time and provide you with protection and comfort. Also don’t settle for a blend of fabrics that you find unsuitable just because it is a great price or you like the color. And don’t be overwhelmed by the choices out there. Ask friends and family about their favorite coat brands or where they purchased their new wool socks. If you just plain out hate shopping ask your shopping-friendly spouse, friend, or second cousin if they’d like to swap expertise. Just be sure to give them a list of what garments you’re looking for, along with sizes, colors, possible brands, and fabrics. Making sure to write down the details, including what percentage of which fabrics you want, will help your assistant narrow down the search quickly. If you are, say, a vegan and do not want leather on your clothing at all, be sure to write that down too. And once everything is hung or folded neatly next to your Bug Out Bag, take yourself out to a nice dinner, knowing that you’re ready to withstand the elements.

James:
As a five year old I lived with my grandparents in a small isolated village in the foothills of the Austrian Alps.  This was about 1953 until 1958.  Rural life had its own rhythm which now seemed more akin to the 19th century.  Small family fields were plowed with the milk cow which was also used to bring in the hay and the harvest.  Everything planted had a use.  Each tree on these small family farms bore fruits or nuts.  Ornamentals were for the well to do- perhaps the village doctor who had a more secure source of income.  Each farmstead depended on a variety of fruit and other crops.  If one thing did not do well that year, then other harvests such as the chestnuts or the pears and apples for hard cider might be plentiful.
The grain keeping body and soul together was polenta, a new world crop, along with the potato.  Corn grew well and would be eaten as mush with pork cracklings, sour milk, or coffee mornings and evenings. Each farmer’s wife was also capable of making hearty loaves of bread seasoned with herbs along with the obligatory home churned butter. Besides working in the fields alongside her husband, the women also had a kitchen garden with vegetables and savory herbs.

The other mainstay was the pumpkin which is still harvested for its seeds and the superb oil the roasted seed produces.  Oils and fats are always at a premium and never ever thrown away.  I have had many a pork fat sandwich with garlic, salt, and pepper. Anything left over was given to the hogs which were slaughtered in the fall and processed, smoked and hung on rafters in the pantry or preserved in a tub of lard.   The root cellar like the pantry was built of stone, being cool and moist. It held barrels of sauerkraut, pickles, and perhaps of eggs which had been covered with a solution of lime and water.

In the evenings, kept warm by the ceramic wood & coal stove, stories were told about surviving WWII and the Russian occupation.  Some were very funny, some not so much.
During the war everything was rationed. Towards the end of the conflict, people in the city would get on the train for the country with their fur coats and oriental rugs and anything else they thought they could trade for a sack of potatoes. Many a farmer’s wife could be found with finery. If you had extra food you kept a very low profile as not to arouse anger or envy of neighbors.
If you were fortunate enough to live in the country, then hunger was not a problem because you grew what was needed – most had the skills, experience, and land needed. Organic methods along with long established permaculture were the norm.  Small livestock such as chickens and sometimes rabbits and doves were part of the living larder. Everything depended on composting and the farmer with the biggest manure pile was considered rich.  Of course humanure was part of recycling necessary nutrients for a successful harvest season. 
Several stories which contained significant life lessons were told by uncles who had to serve on the front.

One uncle was a medical doctor and he told of a pampered young man who came in with a shoulder wound and he hysterically thought that he was mortally wounded.  The team of doctors assured him that he would do just fine, all to no avail.  This young city boy did die unnecessarily.  Later a farm boy came into the medical facility with a very serious stomach wound.  He walked in carrying his intestines in a newspaper.  He was not expected to live but he had the right mindset and he recovered.

The second story about serving on the front came from a different uncle who was in a Siberian prison camp for seven years.  He was a very tall man and as all those with him lost a tremendous amount of weight because of a terrible diet.  Every meal consisted of a cabbage soup with a few chunks of potatoes thrown in.  After a time the men were no longer able to eat this soup, and even though they tried, they threw it up. Fortunately there was a doctor in their unit who told them to take anything of value that they had, cigarette lighters, cigarettes, belt buckles and trade it for hot peppers when they went out on work details.  Each meal they were to cut a little of the peppers into their soup so that their gastric juices would start up again.  This is how I learned about appetite fatigue.  My uncle would say that the peasants in Siberia were as poor as the prisoners and really did not eat much better.

The last story about the Siberian camp had to do with going home.  The trains were loaded with prisoners and they were to depart but for some reason the last car was uncoupled and left.  This caused such great disappointment and loss of hope that many men in that last compartment killed themselves.  Without a solid spiritual foundation our “men’s hearts will fail them” (Luke 21:26) when faced with desperation.

And then there was the third uncle who was a survivor.  His very hard life had honed his instincts. Somehow he would have an inkling when the next attack at the front would occur and he would work his night patrols either before or after.  Several men in his unit caught on to this talent of being aware and sensitive to his surroundings, they started to stay close to him.  Most Austrians were conscripts that wanted to get home to their families.

Hearing such stories and more made a great impression on my mind and these stories have been told to the next generation.  Better to learn from another’s life lessons, the personal cost is less if one listens well.

R.B.S. recommended this article: A trip back to 1964 proves Silver creates wealth. (BTW, this has a nice correlation with the current opportunity to acquire nickels at face value.)

Linda U. sent: World on track for record food prices 'within a year' due to US drought

13 States Now Considering Gold and Silver as Money. (Thanks to R.B.S. for the link.)

Where Does Money Come From? The Giant Federal Reserve Scam Americans Do Not Understand

Items from The Economatrix:

Deutsche Bank Issues A Terrible Warning on the Health of the Global Financial System

Unemployment Rates Rise in Half of US States

Jobless Rate Rises in Five of 10 U.S. Campaign Swing States

QE3 Won't Help Consumers or Jobless

Reader George S. mentioned: "Galt's Gulch" city planned in Honduras

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Here is one early review of Founders. OBTW, speaking of reviews, two of the most critical reviews of Founders posted at Amazon's site appear to be from people that have never read the book. There was even one reviewer who falsely implied that I am a racist. To set him straight, I posted this link.

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Reader H.L. suggested this piece: Germany's Wind Power Chaos Should Be A Warning To Everyone

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Bill J. came across an article on the emergent SARS Corona virus. What makes this news of such concern is in the last paragraph: "Saudi officials said they were concerned the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage next month, which brings millions of people to Saudi Arabia from all over the world, could provide more opportunities for the virus to spread."

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Over at Mac Slavo's SHTFPlan blog: Education After The Collapse:  School When There Is No Classroom

"The issue is not the National Debt in terms of trillions of dollars.  The issue is actually the National Debt in terms of thousands of abortions; it’s the National Debt in terms of thousands of unwanted pregnancies; it’s the National Debt in terms of the epidemic of AIDS; it’s the National Debt in terms of moral promiscuity; the National Debt in terms of the destruction of family life – That's the issue!" - Pastor Alistair Begg

Today is release day and "Book Bomb" Day for my latest book, Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse. In anticipation of strong sales, my publisher (the Atria division of Simon & Schuster) has already printed 44,000 copies of Founders. You can now order it as a hardback book or as an unabridged audio book, or as a Kindle e-book. A Nook Book version is also available.

Here is an update on the novel's Amazon rankings, which I will update during the day. (Overall rank, of 4 million+ listed titles, as well as its rank among Action & Adventure titles.)

#217 overall and #49 in Action & Adventure at 3 p.m. Sunday, September 23rd.

#139 overall and #19 in Action & Adventure at 3 p.m. Monday, September 24th.

#105 overall and #17 in Action & Adventure at 11 p.m. Monday, September 24th.

#83 overall and # 13 in Action & Adventure at 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 25th.

#6 overall and # 7 in Action & Adventure at Noon Tuesday, September 25th.

#4 overall and # 1 in Action & Adventure at 5 p.m. Tuesday, September 25th.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

The queue for Round 42 is full but Round 43 begins on October 1st, so please start writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

With the current economic climate and the recent drought, there is a lot of concern about an impending increase in food prices.  As I browse through homesteading blogs and review comments from recent news articles, more and more people that have not been a part of the "prepper  movement" in the past are now starting to open their eyes and see a need to increase their food stores.  When you first begin to build your pantry, it is helpful to think about the purpose of food storage:  The true goal of storing food is to be able to provide enough calories to sustain life. 

Everyone has a basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is the number of calories that you burn a day at rest with no digestion occurring.  Your BMR is based on your gender, age, weight, and height.  A quick online search will yield links to multiple BMR calculators, so that you can figure your individual BMR.  For sake of an example, let us assume that you are a 40 year old 175 pound man that is 5 feet 10  inches tall.  Your BMR is approximately 1,700 calories per day.  Remember, this is how many calories your body burns doing nothing at all, not even eating.  If you lead a sedentary lifestyle with little to no exercise, you multiply your BMR by 1.2 to get your daily calorie requirement.  In the example above, this would give a calorie requirement of  2,055 calories in the setting of little to no physical activity.  If you have a high level of activity with exercise 6-7 days per week, your calorie requirement would jump up to 2950 calories per day (BMR  times 1.75).

For those of you who have looked into long-term food storage, you see advertisements all of the time for a "year supply of food."  One popular web site offers a premium year supply which contains enough food to supply one person with approximately 1,600 calories per day for a year.  As you can see from the above example, this would not be enough food to support the basic metabolic functions of a large percentage of  people, much less provide the needed energy for daily activities.  In a post-SHTF scenario [without the benefit of power tools, most water pumps, and gas engine vehicles], the general activity level of the populace will most certainly increase, so most people can expect their current calorie requirement to go well above their BMR.

There are other prepackaged supplies of food that supply around 2,000 calories per person per year.  One such example at Emergency Essentials provides 2,000 calories per day for 371 days for $2,700, as of today.  If you do the math on a package like this, you will figure out that you are getting 275 calories per dollar spent.  That sounds pretty good, but how does that compare to other items that you can purchase?  And, what if you don't have three grand to drop on food and just want to get started putting food by?  How can you see if you are getting your money's worth with regards to total calories purchased?

I have been a prepper since 2006, but honestly, the money spent per calorie of food never crossed my mind until recently when we starting making regular purchases for a local food bank.  The first few donations included cans of vegetables, namely corn and green beans.  I had purchased a few flats of each of these around Thanksgiving when they were put on sale for $0.50 each.  Each can had 3.5 servings of food according to the label, but as you will see, "servings" are not all created equal.  Although the serving size of each was the same (one-half cup), a serving of the corn contained 60 calories, whereas a serving of the green beans only had 20 calories.  That equates to 210 calories in a can of corn and 70 calories in a can of green beans.  So, with the corn, I was able to buy 420 calories/dollar but only got 140 calories/dollar with the green beans.   That is a big difference!!

Being cognizant of the number of calories I was getting for the money spent made me reevaluate my food bank purchases. I wanted to be sure I was getting the most for the money that I was donating.   Not only did this change the way that I looked at the purchases for the local food bank, but it also changed the way I looked at the purchases for my own pantry with regards to both long-term and short-term storage.  I began to think about the #10 cans of food that I have purchased over the years without true regard for the calorie density of their contents.  On my shelves, I have cans of freeze dried green beans, spinach, broccoli, and mushrooms.  I am happy to have them to provide variety, but in a post-STHF scenario, these cans will be useless in terms of providing energy for me to work around our compound.  Before now, seeing these cans on the shelf provided a sense of "food security" because they are indeed food, but what I am really looking for is "calorie security."

That can of freeze dried green beans has 21 one-half cup servings with 30 calories per serving.  So, if I ate the whole can, I would only get 630 calories!!  That same can of green beans costs $14.95 right now which means I am only getting 42 calories/dollar spent.  Consider a #10 can of dehydrated carrots that contains a total of 3,710 calories and costs $11.50.  You are getting 323 calories per dollar in that can.  It is easy to see which is a better purchase if your goal is to provide calories.

Now, don't get me wrong.  There is nothing wrong with spending the money on products that have fewer calories.  I personally love dehydrated mushrooms and use them all of the time when I cook.  I will continue to buy them as long as I can although they have basically no calories.  Nonetheless, the concept of the total calories you are getting for each dollar you spend is important to consider, especially when the money available for building your food storage is limited.

For those that are just beginning to build their short term (3 month-2 year) food storage, what are some of the more cost effective items to buy in terms of the number of calories you get per dollar spent?  Well, if you have ever been on a diet or have read about a diet, this should be pretty easy to think about.  Those items that are high in carbohydrates are usually going to have the most calories per unit cost.  These would include rice, beans, potatoes, wheat, pasta, corn, etc.  These groups of foods are the ones that everyone tries to stay away from when trying to lose weight.  Right?  Why is that? Well, it is because they are calorie dense, meaning you don't have to eat much volume to get a lot of calories. But since in a post-SHTF scenario most people will not get to continue to be couch potatoes (or desk potatoes) and the level of physical activity will dramatically increase,  we will be less worried about eating low-cal.  You will need those calorie-dense items (that we all try to avoid currently)  in order to sustain a higher level of physical activity.

Conversely, the items that cost more per calorie are usually those things that you are allowed to eat without consequence on a diet.  These would include spinach, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.  Like we saw above, you can eat a whole 14 ounce can of green beans from the grocery store and only get 70 calories.  You would have to spend all day eating green beans to get enough calories to live and would have no time left over to work.  :)

Okay , so let's get down to the nitty gritty.  Let us take a look at specific foods that you may consider for short or long term storage and see how many calories they provide per dollar spent--you can also see how that compares to the 275 calories per dollar that we would get purchasing that prepackaged premium year supply of food.  The prices that I am quoting were looked up online at my local warehouse club this morning.

1.  Long grain white rice:  50# bag for $16.86.   There are 1650 calories per pound which gives 82,500 calories in the bag.  So, you get 4893 calories/dollar spent.

2.  Potato flakes:  3.2# box for $5.76.  There are 65 one-half cup servings with 80 calories each giving 5200 calories in the box.  So, you get 903 calories/dollar spent.

3.  Dehydrated hash brown potatoes:  2.06# box for $5.98.  There are 60 one-third cup servings with 70 calories each giving 4200 calories in the box.  So, you get 694 calories/dollar spent.

4.  Pinto beans:  25# bag for $20.49.   There are 1440 calories per pound of beans, giving 36,000 calories in the bag.  So, you get 1757 calories/dollar spent.

5.  All purpose flour:  25# bag for $8.00.  There are 1600 calories per pound of flour, giving 40,000 calories in the bag.  So, you get 5,000 calories/dollar spent.

6.  Angel Hair pasta:  6# box (wrapped in 1 pound bundles) for $5.76.  48 two-ounce servings with 210 calories per serving, giving 10,080 calories per box.  So, you get 1750 calories/dollar spent.

7.  Tang powder:  4.5# container with 88 servings (to make 88 cups) with 90 calories per serving, giving 7920 calories per container.  So, you get 1135 calories/dollar spent.

Now, I know that these items don't qualify as long term storage products,  in the manufacturer's packaging, but they are ideal staples for a short-term pantry.  Also, with a little extra work, all of them except the flour could be placed in long term storage by sealing them in mylar bags inside of buckets. This does add to the cost but it may still be more reasonable than buying the pre-made super pails from an emergency supply store.  Example:  If you had to pay $11 for storage supplies (bucket, lid, mylar bag, and oxygen absorber) to put away the bag of rice, you would still be getting 2,961 calories per dollar spent on that bucket of rice. A 44-lb pail of white rice from Emergency Essentials is currently selling for $57.95, giving 1,239 calories per dollar spent.  This is much more cost effective than the 275 calories per dollar in the year-supply package we discussed earlier, but you can definitely improve your calorie per dollar ratio by packaging the rice yourself.

I consider all purpose flour a great item for a short-term storage pantry since its shelf life is listed as 8 months to 1 year, but whole wheat is certainly preferred for long term storage.  The wheat can then be ground into flour when it is needed, but it can also be used without grinding to add some variety to food storage meals.  Where I live, wheat is not available for bulk purchase, so I end up buying pre-made super pails of wheat for my long term storage.  Currently the 45 pound hard red wheat super pail costs about $47.  This contains 385 one-fourth cup servings with 180 calories per serving, giving 69,300 calories per pail.  So, you would get 1,474 calories per dollar spent buying that super pail.  For those of you who are fortunate to live in areas where you can buy wheat in bulk, I am sure that you could package it yourself and increase the number of calories you are getting for your money, just as we saw with the rice. 

Overall, the number of calories you get per dollar spent is much higher with the bulk foods from the warehouse store than in the long term storage year-supply packages.  Because of this, I recommend that you first make sure that you purchase some of the more cost-effective items initially to build up a short-term pantry before you start spending lots of money on the items packaged in #10 cans and super pails.  You will be able to build up your calorie reserve much faster on a smaller budget starting with your short-term storage.   

Short term storage isn't limited to bulk items from the warehouse stores.  Don't forget about the goods in your local grocery store.  Most canned goods can be kept in the pantry for at least 2 years.  Creamy condensed soups usually contain more calories than their ready-to-eat counterparts because you are storing less water in the can.  One brand of cream of chicken soup on my pantry shelf has 300 calories per can, which is fantastic.  If you can find it on sale over the holidays for $1 per can, you are getting 300 calories per dollar.    Starchy vegetables such as beans, corn, and sweet peas are going to have a higher calorie density than green beans, asparagus, and tomatoes--so for cans of similar price, the starchy vegetables will add more calories for your buck.  And, remember the ever-favorite ramen noodles.  At our local grocer, you can get a 12-pack of ramen for $2.44.  Each individual pack contains 380 calories, giving 4560 calories in the box.  So, ramen yields 1,869 cal per dollar spent.  Pretty impressive!  No wonder college students live off of it.

Although I advocate shopping wisely to make sure you are getting plenty of calories for the dollar spent, I do not recommend buying empty calories.  Yes, you could purchase 10 buckets of white sugar and have lots of calories, but these calories provide little nutrition, meaning there are no vitamins and minerals, no protein, and no fat.  Although you need calories to live, empty calories alone won't keep you healthy.  Make sure you are familiar with the USDA recommendations for protein and fat intake.  On average, individuals should consume around 50 grams of protein a day, but the amount needed will increase if you are doing heavy physical labor.  It is also recommended that you get about 30% of you daily calories from fat.  Knowing this, you will need to have variety in your food storage--don't stock up on one item alone just because it provides adequate calories.

When protein is mentioned, people often get discouraged thinking that they need to purchase expensive meats to provide adequate protein.  Remember, proteins are found in lots of foods other than meat, including grains, nuts (and nut butters), powdered milk, and beans.  Examples:  One-fourth of a cup of wheat provides 7 grams of protein, one-third of a cup of rolled oats provides 6 grams of protein,  and 3 tablespoons of dry pinto beans provides 8 grams of protein.  The high protein content of these high carb items make them even more attractive as core staples in the pantry. They are a relatively inexpensive way to add calories and protein.

I honestly could go on forever discussing different foods to store or not to store, but entire books have been written on that.   The concept that I want you to take with you from this discussion is that you need to THINK about the PURPOSE of the food you are buying.  Don't base your purchases on the number of servings per container or on someone else's concept of a years-supply of food.  Understand how many calories you and your family need to survive and buy food accordingly.  Build your short-term and long-term storage up around items that cost less per calorie until you have an adequate supply of calories, and then use your extra money if you would like to add in items that provide different flavors but may not give you much in the way of energy.  If you buy wisely, you will be able to meet your requirements by spending less money than you would expect based on browsing emergency storage web sites.  Remember, it's not about the food itself, it's about the calories!

When most people think of post collapse survival, one of the major topics that first comes to mind is food.  The internet is full of articles and forums dedicated to canning, hunting, gathering, and of course, gardening.  What I don't often find, are articles specifically dedicated to a particular item of food to be grown in a garden, explaining perhaps why it would be a beneficial plant to start growing now.  For me and my own gardening, I have gone from complete and utter newbie, to successful builder of soil and harvester of many delicious edibles.  Through out this period of trial and error, I just selected at random packets of seasonal and organic seeds from the local nursery, and while hoping for the best, I would continually return to the net for tips on how to deal with this pest or that fungus.

Having suffered more failures than successes, and now with several growing seasons under my belt, I have narrowed the field of which species I plant in my various garden beds.  One species stands out as a new favorite of mine, and this species will be the focus of this article.  It is a summer squash called Tatume. 

I live in Austin, Texas and basically have a year round growing season.  This past winter was mild, so by mid-March I had summer and winter squash already planted and sprouting in the garden.  Like most people, I planted the usual suspects; zucchini, yellow crookneck, acorn, and sugar sweet pumpkins.  After a nice early harvest began at the outset of summer, the dreaded squash moth arrived.  Leaves began to wilt and turn yellow, and I started spending more and more time on my hands and knees wiping the moth's small red eggs from plant stems.  Worse still, I started finding my self more and more often having to use a razor blade to cut small windows into the squash vines so I could exorcise the chubby, white grubs from within.  Of course, my chickens loved the vine borers, but I was growing frustrated with fighting a losing battle.  Even carrying a fly swatter and striking down the moths themselves when I could was not enough to prevent my entire planting from finally succumbing to the borers.  What had been a great spring where I was pulling large quantities of squash every week, became a depressing summer of empty beds where so much green had once thrived.

In conversation with a fellow gardener, I mentioned my loss, and she clued me in to the Tatume squash.  She had recently planted some herself after a similar loss of her own plants.  According to what she had read, the vines of the Tatume are thinner and denser than those of most other squash, and make traveling within them more difficult for vine borers.  She also had read that Tatume re-rooted themselves from their vines frequently, providing auxiliary points along the plant where nutrients could be drawn from the soil should the central vine be lost to pests.  I had to try growing this wonder plant for myself after she ended the discussion by stating, "I hear the problem with Tatume isn't keeping them alive, it's controlling them!"

About a week later, my seed order from Baker Creek Heirlooms came through, and I had several packs of Tatume seed.  As it was not (at the time) available at the local nursery, I figured I would make a large order for my personal seed bank, should the species prove to be as resilient as my friend claimed it to be.  I went outside and pulled together several mounds of soil in three different garden beds, and in each mound I planted three seeds.  The results have been nothing short of extraordinary. 

First, the vines do indeed grow long and fast.  Assuming an infestation of vine borers was inevitable, and knowing that they can decimate the primary vine of a plant quite quickly, I wanted to make sure these plants laid roots in several places.  I buried the nodes of each vine in several locations with rich soil, and watered these areas just as I watered the central vine.  While I believe this practice helped, it may not have been specifically necessary, as the plants seemed fairly interested in re-rooting themselves of their own volition. 

I noticed that the squash moth did still lay eggs on Tatume plants, but interestingly enough, they didn't seem to lay nearly as many eggs as they were laying on my hubbards, my acorn squash, or my remaining (and struggling!) zucchini.  Out of the fifteen Tatume seeds I planted, I still have fifteen living and healthy plants, and I only had to cut two vine borers out of the entire group.  This was early in their development when I noticed a bit of frass on the central vines.  The borers I removed were small, and had barely damaged the plants, which I believe was in fact due to the tighter, denser nature of the vine structure.  Most of the suggestions one finds on the Internet concerning how to deal with squash vine borers revolve around covering plants with netting or using some form of pesticide, including BT injections.  For anyone planning a survival garden, relying on anything that needs to be purchased from a store is unacceptable.  It makes far more sense to be finding workable solutions now, and that includes the selection of the most reliable and defensible plant species.

Of course, so many fecund and spawning squash plants in one area will draw in another pest; the squash bug.  My own garden began to attract squash bugs once my Tatume were sprawling over many square feet of space and producing fruit.  Early detection is not only key, but it's quite easy for the observant gardener.  These little insects come in droves, colored an orangish red as young nymphs, then growing into large gray stink bugs if left unattended.  Walking around with a jar of soapy water to knock them off of the plant and into, hand squishing, and a light coat of flour sifted onto the plants (and washed off three days later) was enough to rid me of their nuisance in under a week.  I also suggest keeping various insect repellant herbs planted throughout the garden as well as members of the daisy family which will attract assassin bugs to your aid.  I know of one gardener who makes a Tansy tea (Tansy is a flower in the Aster/Daisy family) which he then sprays directly onto his food plants, bringing the assassin bugs to live upon them in full force.  The only drawback is that assassin bugs can kill pollinators such as bees, so use with discretion.

The fruit of the Tatume plant has the color and flavor of a zucchini but is shaped like a small pumpkin.  Native to Mexico, the Tatume is used in a dish called "calabacitas" and is itself often referred to as "calabacita" (meaning "little squash.")  We are suffering a hard drought here in central Texas, yet my Tatume thrive.  I credit this primarily to my regular watering, but also to the possibility that being a native of Mexico has granted Tatume at least a moderate drought and heat tolerance.  As temperature zones are shifting, with warmer weather sustaining for larger portions of the year further and further north, as well as the extension of drought conditions, and even the possibility of water supply disruption due to collapse related events, having seeds in your survival arsenal that can handle such conditions is a must. 

Falling under the Curcubita Pepo grouping, this would mean that Tatume can cross pollinate with all others in this category, including zucchini and crook neck squash.  As seed saving is crucial to those planning a survival garden, this means either not growing other C. Pepo, separating them by large distances, or hand pollinating.  Personally, not wanting to deal with the pest issues associated with these other squash, I would elect to only grow Tatume as a summer squash.  It should be noted as well, that C. Pepo can in fact cross pollinate with C. Maxima (Buttercup, Hubbard) as well as C. Moschata (Butternut) requiring the above mentioned precautions.  Like all squash, the seeds are large and plentiful, so collecting, drying, and storing them for the next season's crop is extremely easy.  I would imagine preparing the seeds as one would pumpkin seeds, would also yield a tasty snack.

The summer is now waning, and I'm seeing squash moths less and less.  In the past week, I haven't had to make my regular rounds of plant inspections, obsessively removing moth eggs from the undersides of leaves.  As I walk through the garden with my watering can every morning taking in the beauty of those bright orange flowers open to the rising sun, inviting in bees and ants, I am thoroughly rewarded for such diligence.  I bend over to gently pull apart the still ever expanding network of dark green vines which are engulfing my garden beds to find softball sized, evergreen globes waiting for me.  While I still struggle at times with other food plants, these struggles are a reward as well.  While the grocery stores are still open, failure isn't critical, and these failures inform us of what plants we can reasonably expect to rely on when a crisis does arrive, and which will ultimately sap us of more energy than they will give us.  After a wonderful and productive season, I cannot recommend strongly enough that you too begin experimenting with Tatume squash in your home garden and kitchen.

Keeping track of trends in The American Redoubt, it appears that both Idaho and Montana will follow Wyoming's lead and will enact Constitutional Carry (unrestricted concealed carry) in the next sessions of their legislatures.

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Guns galore draw enthusiasts to tactical expo. (And here is a link to their web site. I predict that it will be a much larger event, next time.)

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Teton County hunters quick to grab wolf tags. And in other hunting news, the top prize for a Stating The Obvious headline goes to: Wounded grizzly bear in Eastern Idaho could pose danger.

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Emergency-preparedness company moving to Boise

Those pesky derivatives again: Deriving the True Size of U.S. Megabanks Is Far From Simple

Items from The Economatrix:

Draghi And Bernanke's Worst Nightmares Are About To Unfold

Fed's Fisher Says U.S. Inflation Expectations Rising

The Trouble With Printing Money:  QE3 Reflects A Colossal Failure To Address Our Predicament

Lyme Disease Hits Big in Australia. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)

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SurvivalBlog's Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted this: Pre-Peeled, Re-Wrapped Bananas Are the Most Wasteful Sign of the Apocalypse Yet

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File under Emerging Threats: Police: Serial burglars used Facebook to find victims. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)

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Some great commentary by Enola Gay in the Paratus Familia blog about living in wildfire country: Identifying Hazards

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The folks at Directive 21 are now offering Mountain House freeze dried foods packaged in food grade buckets.

"A society that does not defend itself is doomed. A system that remains passive in the face of attack deserves to go under. Those unwilling to defend freedom will become unfree. To stand idly by is to commit suicide." - The late Brian Crozier

Please wait until tomorrow (Tuesday, September 25th)--which is also our planned Book Bomb day-- to order your copies of Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse. Thanks!

Note to book dealers: For ordering case lots of the new hardback (20 copies per case, 23 lb. shipping weight per case), contact Simon & Schuster's wholesale order desk.

I try not to bore my readers with the minutiae of our day-to-day life here at the Rawles Ranch. It is largely a fairly mundane annual rhythm of planting, harvesting, calving and lambing, wood cutting, huckleberry picking, hay hauling, and so forth. But I recently had driving mishap that was noteworthy: I was driving our SUV and hit a mountain lion, in broad daylight. I must first mention that deer collisions are all too common here in The Unnamed Western State (TUWS), and that elk or big horn sheep collisions are quite a bit less frequent. Even more rare are moose collisions, and those never end well. (Moose are so tall that they often go over the hood of a pickup truck and through the windshield.) But to hit a mountain lion is about as common an occurrence as getting struck by lightning or winning the mega lotto. I did a web search and found that the popular press tends to spill a lot of ink over these rare occurrences.

Here is what happened: I was driving down the highway minding my own business with the cruise control set at the speed limit and listening to an MP3 of Taj Mahal singing "Queen Bee" (part of my collection of favorite air checks from KFAT.) Suddenly I saw a full-grown cougar bounding out of the tree line, at speed. It ran into the highway in front of me. I didn't have any time to react. I heard it hit our deer bumper and then felt it go under the two driver's side tires. So now the large predator population of TUWS has been reduced by one. In doing so, I probably saved the lives of hundreds of deer. It was a little sad to see a pretty kitty get squashed, but so be it.

By the way, I should mention that extra heavy duty "deer guard" bumpers are de rigeur, in this region. These are available commercially and are also often custom fabricated, locally. To give you a sense of their size, these make typical Ford or Chevy pickup factory "brush guards" look flimsy, by comparison. Typically, real deer guard bumpers weigh 300 to 900 pounds. In TUWS, we even see these mounted on a few passenger sedans. That is indicative of how many deer collisions take place here.

I'm sure that some readers were disgusted by the foregoing while others will be ready to send hearty congratulations. (As with other large predators, I've noticed that perspectives on the Puma Concolor tend to vary widely, depending on whether or not someone has personally lost pets or livestock to these land sharks.) I'd characterize my own reaction as muted. I felt fortunate that my vehicle wasn't damaged (and with our bumper, it would probably take an elk to do any damage.) I also felt good knowing that I'd eliminated a predator that is presently a bit over-populated. But in a way I felt cheated. I'd much rather take a mountain lion in season after a long still hunt, from 300 yards, at 9X magnification. Or, better yet at spitting distance from beneath a snarling treed cat that has taken me and the dogs all day to chase down and tree. Somehow, just a heart-stopping glimpse and "whump-whump-whump" was just too easy.

I doubt that you'll be reading about any other animal collisions from me in the future, unless I have another rare one. (I don't even bother mentioning deer collisions, which we have every year or two.) By the way I did once almost hit a bald eagle, but thankfully a tragedy was avoided by the margin of just an arm-span.

So now I'm praying that some evening soon I encounter a horribly confused pack of wolves that stands transfixed in my headlights. But somehow I don't think that is very likely. Bummer.

If many of you are like me, and are from the old Army school, you know all about canteen cup cooking. The old-style canteen cup had a locking "L" handle, that made it perfectly suitable for heating water in your canteen cup, as well as heating meals, or even cooking in that little cup. Today's canteen cup that the US military issues has dual folding wire handles, that are not conducive to placing it on a fire - the handles are too close to the heat source. Sometimes "newer-er" doesn't equate to "better" in my book. When you have something that works, and works well, you leave it alone, but the military isn't like that for some reason.
 
I'm always looking for a way to lighten my backpack, and the older I get, the wiser I get - at least I believe so. It wasn't that many years ago, when I could hump a CFP-90 pack, fully loaded, with a sleeping bag, and all the gear I needed for survival, and plenty of gear I didn't need. Today, my CFP-90 sits in the back of my closet in my office. I've gone to a lighter and smarter pack for my survival and bug out purposes. And, if there is anything I can do to lighten my pack, and still maintain all the gear I need , I'll do it. I've carried a small "stove" in my pack for a lot of years, only problem with this little stove is that it takes those little fuel tabs that the military used to issue - I don't know if these tabs are still an issued item or not. But it was a hassle to have to carry enough of these fuel tabs for cooking on, for more than a day or two.
 
Enter the 180 Stove from 180 Tack, a Colorado-based company. The 180 Stove is a compact, folding, put-it-together camp stove, that is small enough to even fit in your rear pants pocket, yet large enough to provide an ample cooking surface for large cookware, as well as my trusty old-style canteen cup for heating water for coffee, tea or hot chocolate. What makes the 180 Stove a great backpacker companion is that you don't have to haul any fuel for it. You can use twigs, sticks, dried grass, etc., for your fuel to cook with. Now, unless you're in a barren desert, or the Arctic, finding some form or "fuel" shouldn't be a problem for you. Heck, you can even use dried cow chips for a fuel if need be.
 
The 180 Stove takes about 30-seconds to assemble, and you don't even need to read the instructions to put it together, it's "that" simple. I like simple - simple is easier and usually fool-proof, too. The 180 Stove is made out of quality stainless steel, with interlocking components, so that there are no moving parts, hinges, welds or rivets that would normally cause a product like this to fail you in the field.
 
Unfortunately, the 180 Stove arrived during the heat of the summer, and we have burn restrictions in place - no open fires, period. However, I was able to test the 180 Stove in my covered carport, that has a gravel floor and is exposed on the front and the back ends. For fuel, I simply gathered some twigs and pine needles, and put them under the cooking surface of the stove and lit it. Inside of a minute or two, I had a flame hot enough to boil water and cook a burger. I needed to add some more fuel during the cooking process, but it only took a few seconds to take care of this chore. Very little fuel is need for cooking.
 
The assembled 180 Stove is 7" long 6" wide and 3.25" high, the folded stove is 7" long 3.25" wide and 0.6" high - we're talking pretty compact. And it comes in a heavy duty plastic carrying case, so when you are done with the stove, and it has cooled, you simply disassemble it, place it back in the carrying case, and store it in your backpack ready for use once again. The stove only weight 10.4 oz and that's a big plus. The less weight I have to pack, the better I like it.
 
Here's some more of the pluses for the 180 Stove. It is truly a "green" stove and does not use toxic fuels. It's light-weight since you don't have to carry fuel, and it is super-strong (and made in the USA). The ease of assembly is another big plus in my book. Simply put the stove together, push a little soil along the sides or use gravel (as I did) then cook, douse and store the stove for another use. I don't care if you live in the city or out in the boonies like I do, you can find some form of fuel to cook with, which makes this stove one of the best choices for cooking in the outdoors in a camping or emergency situation. The 180 Stove comes with a 2 year manufacturer's warranty.
 
Hunting season is coming up, and if I can find the time to get out this year (didn't make it last year) the little 180 Stove will be in my backpack, or in my rig. Should I find myself stranded out on a lonely logging road, I'll have a stove to cook on, as well as providing some life-saving heat that can make the difference between life and death. In the past, I've resorted to a camp fire to cook on and keep me warm. The 180 Stove will eliminate the need for a big camp fire.
 
I wish I could write more on the little 180 Stove, however, because it is sooooo simply, and very effective, I find I'm limited as to what I can say about this outstanding product - other than, "why didn't someone come up with this great product sooner?" Sure, there are some other similar stoves out there, but they aren't as well-made as this one is, and many of them also take some kind of canned fuel, which is bulky, expensive and messy to carry with you.
 
Full-retail on the 180 Stove is $46.95, and it may seem a little bit spendy, but when you stop and think about the quality materials that are used in the stove, and that the thing actually works as advertised, and it can and will be a lifesaver, you are making an investment in your future survival. On top of that, you will be lightening your backpack and assuring yourself of a hot meal when time comes to eat. Yes, you can eat MREs cold - but who likes doing that? If you have a fishing pole and some hooks, you can catch a nice trout and cook it up, using the 180 Stove and nothing tastes better than a hot meal when you're hungry and cold.
 
I'm gonna see about getting a couple more of the 180 Stoves for my wife and daughters, I know they'd like 'em in their backpacks, just like I do. And, its always nice when you can lighten a pack, and still have all the gear you need. Sure, a camp fire is nice, but it takes a lot of wood, and it honestly isn't all that much "fun" cooking over a large fire...the 180 Stove will take care of your cooking needs in an emergency, like nothing else can. - SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

James Wesley:
I read with interest your article on saving nickels. My question to you is why are nickels better than quarters?  Is it not easier to store a larger sum of funds in the same physical space with quarters than nickels?  If they do devalue the [printed] US Dollar by a factor of 10, then a nickel will [effectively] be worth 50 cents but a quarter will be worth $2.50. 
 
Regards, - Richard F.

JWR Replies: As a hedge against a zero (or two) being dropped from the paper Dollar, nickels (the U.S. five cent piece) and clad quarters are indeed comparable.  But from the perspective of base metal content value, consider:

A debased clad quarter (91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel) is actually worth $0.0516021. That base metal is only 20.64% of the coin's face value.

In contrast, a nickel (75% copper and 25% nickel) is actually worth $0.0536129. That base metal is 107.22% of the coin's face value.

So, by their base metal content, each nickel is worth slightly more than a quarter!

(Reference: Coinflation.com. Access date: 22 September, 2012.)

In summary, the U.S. Nickel is the ONLY instantly-recognizable coin in common circulation that is worth more than its face value.  Granted, the pre-1981 U.S. pennies are presently worth 248% of their face value, but those require sorting--either time-consuming sorting by eye or electronically with a $500 Ryedale coin sorting machine.

Though I stocked up substantially in 2006 and 2007, I still ask for a $20 tray of nickels each time that I visit the bank. Someday my children will thank me for that.

Back in 1963, you could walk into a bank and walk out with all the 90% silver quarters you could carry. Each silver quarter is now worth $6.24. That is 2,496.42% of face value. (Again, according to Coinflation.com.) I see nickels as a similar opportunity for our generation. The composition of the U.S. nickel has been the same since 1946. But once it is inevitably debased (most likely to a stainless steel slug with a base metal value of less than 1/10th of a cent), our window of opportunity will close. Stock up!

Mrs. RLB's Spicy Jalapeño Venison Breakfast Sausage

This recipe for venison sausage has some heat to it!  I tried other recipes which seemed too bland and so I doctored this recipe until it was just right.  Since it is deer season, I thought this would be the best time to submit it.  You can make less if you like by cutting the ingredients by the same proportions.  Have a glass of ice water ready to drink the first time you taste it, just in case you find it a little too hot for you.  You can always adjust the spices to your suit your taste.

24 lbs ground venison
3 lbs pork fat
3 packages   (0.75 oz)   fresh sage (2.25 ounces total) or from your garden
6 Tbsp ground red pepper
12 Tbsp ground black pepper
2 tsp mace
2 very large bulbs of garlic (not cloves), cleaned, cloves are crushed
5 whole jalapeño peppers (minus seeds)
12 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 ½ cups cold water (or more as needed for blender)  

Add water, spices, garlic, seasonings and jalapenos to blender, and blend on high until spices are very blended and smooth.  In the absence of a blender, chop ingredients very fine and add to water.  In a large bowl, blend the venison, fat and pour in the spice blend.  If you use your hands, you may want to wear gloves due to the heat of the jalapenos.  Bag and freeze in portions that are useful to you.  
 
To cook, make into patties and fry on stovetop as you usually would with other breakfast sausage.

Chef's Notes:

Again, you can always adjust the spices to your suit your taste.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Patrice Lewis (of the excellent Rural Revolution blog) shares her recipe and experience in making a deep dish chicken pot pie.

Dutch oven cooking expert Karl Moore has posted some great recipes.

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Jim W. suggested this: The Next Panic: Europe’s crisis will be followed by a more devastating one, likely beginning in Japan.

Andre sent us this: Concerted QE – The Beginning of Hyperinflation
 
G.G. suggested: Fed Wants Inflation Now, Will Clean Up 'Mess' Later: El-Erian

More Americans Added to Food Stamps Than Find Jobs

Readers recommended two interesting essays over at Zero Hedge: Bank Of America to Fire 16,000 by Year End and What Mitt Romney Also Said: A Glimpse Of The Endgame?

Items from The Economatrix:

Household Worth in US Fell in 2Q as Stocks Dropped

Dollar Index Headed For Rapid Collapse

Peter Schiff-Dollar Vulnerable to a Massive Collapse, Buy Gold and Silver

I heard from Sunflower Ammo (one of the generous sponsors of our writing contest) that they just added a product review section to their web site.  They will be giving away freebies for the best reviews every month. They have also added a British Berkefeld LP2 filter system to their product line, for $139.99.  This is a great entry-level water filter.

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There was a pleasant surprise in my latest batch of forwarded mail: a copy of the new Bulgarian edition of my first novel, "Patriots". There are now nine foreign publishing contracts in place to produce the novel in eight languages including French, Spanish, German, Russian, Portuguese, Bulgarian, and Korean.

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James C. sent us this to file under Emerging Threats: Radio Zeta: How Mexico’s Drug Cartels Stay Networked

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H.L. sent: 21 Facts About America's Decaying Infrastructure That Will Blow Your Mind

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Peter S. recommended a great half-hour NSSF video on cleaning and maintaining the AR-15 series rifles.

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F.J. like this piece at Instructables: Mint Tin Candle

"Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it." - John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776

We're down to just three days to release (and "Book Bomb Day") for Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse. Thanks for your patience.

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Today we present another entry for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 begins on October 1st, so please start writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Know your environment - getting the maps ready now

In a world full of google, yahoo and portable navigators, the art of using maps kind of gets lost. In a SHTF situation, you will probably not have much of a technological tool kit for navigation, or planning. Knowing how to use maps from a tactical perspective then becomes critical skillet. Sand tables are not the most portable item to help identify and understand a terrain, but using plastic layers over a map can be very portable, and useful for viewing an environment. The layers I talk about below are a starting point, you can add whatever you want or remove those that are not important to you.

On a side note the Army has an excellent manual that contains instructions on mapping: Combined Arms Operations in Urban Terrain (ATTP 3-06.11/FM 3-06.11) don't let the title fool you, "Urban" to the Army is a settlement 2,500 people or more.

• Using maps and clear plastic layers
• Map Basics
• Start with a basic terrain map of area; if you are in a rural or homestead area include one of nearest town. 
• I recommend hard copies for all, but you can start using downloads from google/yahoo maps, and using the terrain and other options. This map should have both land elevations and man made structures on it.
• Also available are software tools such as Visio, OmniGraff, and some near free diagram generating software programs, if you choose to create your own maps from a computer first.
• Don't forget to think three dimensionally - subways, sewers, basements, high-rises etc.
• When mapping out layers, it is key to have an index including category (layer name), location (grid, street, landmarks), common name, and supplemental information for that specific item documented and easily referenced.  Having a number next to the item on a map will also aid in the lookup.
• Check colors for map layers against your chemical light sticks, or your red or blue flashlight filters - make sure you can read them at night [under a poncho].
• Mark layered items with icons based on categories: triangle for first responder buildings, x'ed boxes for restaurants, etc.
• Have a map protractor to help identify distance, and bearing 
• Creating overlapping layers: 
• Use clear plastic layers for each of the following to aid in area understanding. Using plastic layers allows for easy removal or adding, one onto of the other, to gain a better understanding of the environment, and to remove clutter from information that is not currently important. For neighborhood resources you might want to think about not using a corner to corner overlay, but for known locations this might not be a high risk.
• Infrastructure layer - highway, streets, service roads, hiking paths, fire breaks, electric line easements, bridges, dams, main water pipes, electric power lines and sub stations, water towers and primary connection pipes, and local/state evacuation routes. 
• Subterranean layer - If town, urban or congested: subterranean infrastructure such as water and drainage pipes, location of manhole covers, underground garages. If marking subterranean infrastructure and you do not know if two manhole covers are to the same pipes use a different line from known when mapping. 
• Areas of Gravitation layer: these include any stationary location where you think people might congregate during a SHTF. Remember, in the world of google maps, many of these locations will have a street view. For high risk/high congregation areas you might want to include a side folder of street view images.
• First Responder locations: local fire stations, police stations, hospitals and clinics, national guard posts
• Food distribution centers:  supermarkets, restaurants and other stores
• Fuel: public gas stations, public works fueling locations
• Hardware and tools: Home Depot/Mom&Pop hardware stores, automotive shops, electrician shops, etc.
• FEMA (possible and known): state fairgrounds,  sports centers, high schools, large fields, etc.
• Population centers: apartment buildings, townhouses, high density neighborhoods, etc. 
• Wild Game layer - location of game, type, time of day and time of year where spotted. Animals tend to move in cycles, so keeping note throughout the year is a great reference point. Don't just go by location during hunting season for post SHTF.
• Environmental layer -  including time of year changes for common drought and flood locations, seasonal water holes, streams, marshes, and ponds. Also mark down farms, ranches, common hunting areas, etc. Also any area with a clearing of more that 100m square (potential helicopter landing site). If possible, note changes in background colors, locations of good concealment and at what time of year.
• Neighborhood resources -see "Neighbors skills and immediate neighborhood resources" below.
• Technology layer - using both google/yahoo maps and a car navigation system place the starting point on the major highways around your town, and see what routes it will take you to your local hospital, supermarket, and police station. If traffic stopped, how would you expect to continue on foot? These are bound to be hot roads and short cuts.
• Keep blank layers - also non-permanent markers for use with the blank layers. 
• Remember, when using a hard copy of a map on a table, you can use other items for mobile reference points, and adjust as they move.
• Using maps to generate "hot zones."  
• Depending on population you may choose to adjust the distances for red, orange and yellow zones, however I recommend using rifle ranges, likelihood of population congestion and probability of violence as the main lines of demarcation.  Remember, in a city and congested suburban, line of site dictates rifle range, not always ballistics.
• Red Zone:  draw a circle around any object in the "areas of gravitation" layer. Depending on your environment, it should be around 700 meters to 1 mile. Do the same around highways, streets, and other areas of traffic out to 200 meters on both sides of the road. If roads have a line of site from them to any item in the areas of gravitation layer, mark those red too, out to 200meters on both sides of the shortcut. Remember, when people are walking, they will take shortcuts. 
• Orange Zone: these are the areas that people start 'grouping' together on their way to or from an area of gravitation - easements where power lines are, should not be forgotten. Also any potential helicopter landing sites not covered in a area of gravitation layer. I map these out to 2 miles from any red zone. 
• Yellow Zone: this is basically anything not covered in Red or Orange.
• Personally, I color coordinate these areas based on Jeff Cooper color code, that way when planning movement, it is clear what alert level someone should be at.
• Identify possible areas of interest and possible scouting routes
• For areas where you might not have a choice, but to go to, it might be best to outline potential ingress/egress routes, ORP's, location for security halts, all within the context of "hot zones". At least in a pre-SHTF environment, you can print out pictures of possible routes ahead of time. Having a layer for each objective could be very useful. Most common areas to map out a scouting route are:
• Hospitals/Clinics
• Food distribution centers
• hardware and tools
• Fuel
• High ground / observation points
• Around your retreat

• Neighbors skills and immediate neighborhood resources
• Most of this is more applicable to suburban landscapes, however knowing ahead of time who has what experience will aid in any kind of SHTF organization. Each of these items and locations should be on a map layer. I really want to be clear on this though. The intent is to identify key people for skill set training and possible organization and consolidation of efforts.  

• Identify neighbors skill sets
• including location/address on map being marked.
• Medical: nurse, doctor, dentist, veterinarian, pharmacist, health care workers 
• Electrical 
• Automotive
• Engineer  
• Green thumb; raise livestock; gardens - even just ornamental gardens.
• Hunters/Fisherman  
• Hikers, campers, those used to living without normal public services
• Prior Service (ex and current military/law enforcement)
• Armed to various degrees
• Teachers 
• Canning, and non-refrigerated food preservation skills
• This list could just keep going on, but those are the main points
• Identify neighborhood resources
• Location of private/public wells, rivers and other water sources including pools
• Location of common areas for cultivation
• Natural food sources: fruit and nut trees, berries, etc.
• Natural barriers for use in defense
• Manmade barriers 

Collecting information post SHTF

Future "current" information is the one thing you can't stock up on. Deciding on when and where to collect information from your surrounding area, and what risk it is worth, is bound to be a major area for debate. OPs only let you know when someone is about to or has discovered where your group is. The only way to really avoid the "detection" is to put small teams out at a greater distance.  This also allows for possible flanking maneuvers, or spoiler attacks, beyond the immediate defensive location. It also requires an exceptional level of stealth, and perseverance. Far from complete, here are a few tips on scouting/ reconnaissance: 

• Post SHTF Map updating considerations
• When updating maps post-SHTF, mark any changes with a date/timestamp - even if it is on a notepad only. Historical changes may present a pattern over time that will be useful. 
• For defining routes, keeping historical records becomes even more important. Over time you might loose track of previous routes and start creating a pattern of action that becomes easily predictable by the op-for.
• Identify the following while planning a route: security stops, objective rally point, should the objective rally point (ORP) be compromised or team dispersed a fallback rally point, return path different from initial ingress, and extraction points if applicable (with redundant positions). Also, identify bearings/distance between different points. 
• Document using a range card from an identified point. Each team member should do this once observing the objective. This allows for comparisons between different scouting trips, and changes during sleep cycles.
• When scouting an area and observing people use the S.A.L.U.T.E. format:
• S - Size - how many people
• A - Activities - what they are doing - what direction are they moving? is a guard moving between two points and if so how often? etc.
• L - Location - grid location or other reference points you are using
• U - UNIT - if applicable, unit, uniform or other group identification
• T - Time and date
• E - Equipment - weapons, personal gear, and vehicles
• Post SHTF Scouting Rules 
• Never use goggles/scopes/binoculars with the people being observed between you and the sun - (always try and have the sun either directly above or behind you). Glare off of the glass may give away your position. Keeping at an angle or using a KillFlash can be good, but I wouldn't bet my life on it. Just be careful not so silhouette yourself.
• Know your pace count: for slow movement, normal and fast walking
• At night, try not to look directly at something being observed with the naked eye, there is a night blind spot that will interfere with looking at an object if you stare at it. Look at the objects sides and around it to see the object more clear.
• Also at night, always give yourself at least 30min to get used to the lack of light before moving around.
• If it looks good to you, it looks good to someone else too: a bush next to a thick tree is more likely to have someone behind it than a bush by its' self. Note that professionals understand this - so that could be a cat and mouse game.
• Never observe from the crest of a high point, this will create a silhouette 
• After identifying an objective to scout try and see if from a defensive viewpoint - where would you be worried about someone approaching? Where would you place the highest number of people in a defensive perimeter? What area would you think only a nut would try and move through? Then as long as it isn't a vast open field, be the nut.
• Cary what you need, not necessarily what makes you comfortable - weight makes long walks harder, short runs much slower, and in time you will focus on your overloaded pack more than what is going on around you.
• When scanning an area try and look deep into the shadows, scan very slow. Look for the slightest difference. Start with a rapid scan, for the obvious: left to right up to 100 meters deep then back to the left in a S formation. Then the same for the next 100 meters deep, and so on. Followed by a slow scan: same process but much more time is spent on each pass - looking for items out of place.
• Always move from one position of cover and concealment  to another. Know your next position before you take your next step.
• Always know where you are and how to get out. Egress should be planned with positions of defense along the way.
• Always use camouflage from the immediate area. Don't rely on just generic patterns such as BDUs or Multicams  
• Someone must always be awake and alert (three person minimal is best)
• There is no downtime on a patrol
• Birds will give you away: avoid nesting and perching birds
• Know your rifle inside and out: know how to range with your glass and front site, know your drops for your ammo, have basic gunsmith skills at least for the rifles you own.
• Know the military movement techniques and use them (bounding and traveling overwatch, ranger file, rolling egress, etc)
• Develop good hand signal communication with your team
• Crossing lines - i.e. leaving and returning to your location where friendlies are on watch, is one of the most dangerous tasks for a patrol, scout or otherwise. Practice this, and have a proper challenge and response with identified return routes known to both sides of the line (that change per patrol).  
• There are two really big give-aways when scouting: sound and movement. Consider a deer. God didn't make them in a camouflage pattern yet can still be unnoticed with it's counter-shaded brown even against a green background. Chances are, you noticed it because a tail flicked or light reflected from it's eyes. Our eyes are designed to be attracted to movement more than from any other giveaway that is natural in color. Slow, graceful movement, and lack of sound are the two most critical methods of not being detected; it's even more important than camouflage and counter shading. 
• No glass on a rifle used for scouting - flaps make target acquisition too slow, and glass reflects light. Use iron sights or [deeply hooded] binoculars. [JWR Adds: A Killflash sleeve requires no flap.]
• Remember the time-honored Rules of Roger's Rangers.

One of the most important skills to master in any crisis scenario is situation analysis.  The preliminary situation analysis is a valuable tool in planning and preparing, while the on-scene analysis will help focus your planned response.

Developing a Preliminary Situation Analysis: Hard Factors

Hard factors are unlikely to vary much from crisis to crisis. Factors such as geography, climate, nearby population, and natural resources will be determined by your chosen location. The only way you can change hard factors is to move to another location. One of the advantages of the American Redoubt is  the set of hard factors the region embodies.

Example: Hard Factors in a Personal Crisis Plan

The planner lives in a rural county in west central Florida, USA.  Location is a safe distance from hazardous coastal weather threats and population centers.  Climate is sub-tropical, so winter heat is not an issue. Nearby population is mostly lower middle class, with large winter influx of snowbirds. Natural resources include ample water, fishing, wildlife for hunting, and sun for solar power. Other hard factors may include access roads (cul-de-sacs may discourage thieves looking for easy escape options), immediate neighbors, and neighborhood “image” (I personally believe that high-end  neighborhoods will be more likely targets for criminals.)

Seasonal and other Predictable Variables

Depending on the location, there may be seasonal or other  variables in hard factors.  In our example, seasonal weather isn’t a major issue, but the presence of snowbirds could be an important variable to consider. If snowbirds’ homes are vacant, they may be easier prey for looters in a crisis. If snowbirds are present, their age and conspicuous possessions may also make them an easy mark.

Soft Factors in a Personal Crisis Plan
                   
Soft factors include factors that you control. Because you control them, you can identify weaknesses and bolster strengths. For example, a wheelchair ramp may indicate a physically weak target. A large dog  blocking the ramp can counter that. (Another large dog barking inside reinforces the image of strength) Compare one neighbor’s shiny new Hummer and professional landscaping  to  the tipped-over gas grill and rusty 10-year-old minivan across the street. Which home is the more likely target? In a crisis situation with civil unrest, you don’t want to be in the nicest house in the neighborhood.
   
Your basic preliminary situation analysis will give you a head start on the Crisis Situation.  It then becomes a simple matter of adding in crisis-specific factors and developing a tentative procedure for planned response. 

While many preppers anticipate armed hordes of vicious urbanites escaping cities in a social crisis, most experts believe that crisis transportation will be limited.  Your greatest threats are more likely to originate within a 20-mile radius of your home.

On-Scene Situation Analysis Factors

Definition of the situation is the first step in the on-scene analysis.  Factors include permanent damages, temporary damages you will need to resolve (roof leaking in hard rain), and temporary damages someone else needs to resolve (roof missing after tornado). Are you in the aftermath of a one-time occurrence (such as a major storm) or at the onset of a continuing crisis (such as a pandemic).  Potential resources include internal ( your prep storage), extended family or friends, neighborhood, community, state, and federal assistance.

Borrow a term from business and do a SWOT analysis–Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Build on strengths; overcome weaknesses, be prepared to optimize opportunities, and be alert for potential threats.

A few years ago, Hurricane Charlie devastated our neighborhood. There were a lot of strangers around afterwards. While a few were looking to sell overpriced cleanup “services”, many were unpaid volunteers–luckier neighbors and off-duty LEOs offering a hand in clearing streets and fixing leaks.  It would have been a mistake to classify every stranger as a threat. 

Properly utilized, the situation analysis can help you deal rationally with a crisis situation. You may have noticed that I never mentioned guns or ammo or any of the dozens of expedient weapons we have on hand just in case some idiot manages to get past the dogs. One of the primary purposes of the situation analysis is to help you avoid confrontations whenever possible so you can devote your attention to overcoming the crisis.

Situation Analysis: Threat Demographics

While TEOTWAWKI may bring threats impossible to predict, other emergencies can be mitigated by recognizing threat factors.  There are three components of the Threat Demographic Analysis: history, local crime trends, and personal observation.

First, look at the history of crisis situations in your immediate area.  In the hurricane example, the overpriced cleanup scam artists were nearly always male, Caucasian, middle-aged strangers. Most had out-of-state tags and appearance ranged from scruffy homeless types to too-clean con-men types. They didn’t have business cards, local references, trade license or bonding information.

A second component of the threat demographic is local crime trends.  Most local newspapers print local crime statistics. Many local law enforcement web sites display photos of convicted criminals (may be a good idea for follow-up if a listed criminal is near your neighborhood).  Set aside qualms about “profiling” or “prejudice”. If 80% of the crimes in your community are being committed by Hispanic or African-American  males aged 18-25, then that factor should be considered in your threat assessment.

Finally, personal observation can go a long way in identifying potential threats.  A lot of law abiding people (and more than a few LEOs) know where criminal activity is concentrated in the community. Be aware of encroaching gang activity and suspicious situations.  Vacant foreclosed homes can quickly become “clubhouses” for illegal activity. 

Again, doing a preliminary demographic analysis of potential threat factors can help you respond quickly and effectively when TSHTF.       

A natural reaction at the onset of a crisis is panic. Reviewing your preliminary situation analysis and plugging in current facts helps you focus on proactively dealing with the crisis in the most effective way possible.

Jim:
Now I know some folks aren't going to think of a protractor -- digital, analog, or constructed -- as a survival tool.

But in the USAF survival school certain "angles" were reinforced as survival angles. Support a load with an equilateral triangle. Making a 30-60-90 frame to support a trench. An isosceles to ensure that snow and rain shed away from a survival shelter. And, squares for identifying your location to rescuers. (Sinces traight lines are out of place in nature. )

Of course as an engineer, anytime you build, angles come into play with load. A good analog carpenter grade protractor, a slide rule, and some knowledge can mean a big difference in the grid down situations. - F.J.

JWR Replies: One other important angle to measure in field engineering is the angle of repose--the maximum slope at which uncompacted soil or sand can be made into a mound before it sloughs. This may prove crucial when designing defensive earthworks or even your next root cellar.

Hi Jim,
That was a well written and informative article by Mark B. on preparing yourself to use deadly force. As a retired police officer and firearms instructor I can tell you that Mark gives solid advice. We can also look at history for lessons on what's important in prevailing in a gunfight. I've been involved in a few myself and I've spent a lot of years figuring out what works and what doesn't. I've studied the old west, taken many courses, read countless books and analyzed my own experiences and how I survived. It can be distilled down to these things in this exact order:
1. Mental Determination to win
2. Accuracy (the old adage, you can't miss fast enough to win is certainly true)
3. Speed
4. Aggression
The fastest draw or the first shot off isn't what counts. Hits in vital areas count and continuing the fight until the threat is gone. Practice under stressful and physically exerting conditions. As Bill Jordan said about gunfighting, "there's no second place winner" . Do a web search on "Bill Jordan Border Patrol" if you don't know who he is. He spoke from experience.
Thank you, - Carl L.

By way of Tam at the View From The Porch blog comes this account of multiple mass inflations in Argentina: “¡Qué Quilombo!” Here is a key quote: "What seems peculiar about Argentina’s case is the government’s Herculean effort to ignore the immutable laws of economics in their pursuit of grand larceny. The country has seen five currencies in just the past century, averaging a collapse every twenty years or so. In 1970, the peso ley replaced the peso moneda nacional at a rate of 100 to 1. The peso ley was in turn replaced by the peso Argentino in 1983 at a rate of 10,000 to 1. That lasted a couple of years, and was then replaced by the Austral, again at a rate of 1,000 to 1. To nobody’s surprise, the Austral was itself replaced by the peso convertible at a rate of 10,000 to 1 in 1992. During the past four decades, when all was said and done, after the various changes of currency and slicing of zeroes, one peso convertible was equivalent to 10,000,000,000,000 pesos moneda nacional."

Some commentary from George Schultz, et al: The Magnitude of the Mess We're In

Athens Municipality Runs Out Of Cash; Suspends All Operations

F.G. sent: Gary Schilling: Why There's No Housing Recovery And Prices Will Collapse Another 20%

Items from The Economatrix:

Stagflation in Extremis and the Explosive Rise in Gold

Former Goldman Sachs Analyst:  War to Erupt In 2012, Dow to Fall to 5,000

Bernanke Briefs Lawyers on Fiscal Cliff

Jobless Claims to Leading Index Show Weakness

SurvivalBlog reader "Shrike" mentioned a beautiful little film about the production process of an axe by master toolmaker, John Neeman...

   o o o

A link courtesy of SurvivalBlog's Editor At Large Mike Williamson: Is this photo and diagram from South Korea legitimate? It is captivating, nonetheless.

   o o o

Reader R.B.S. sent: Blackouts Spur $18 Billion Power Grid Upgrade: Corporate India

   o o o

The folks at InformedChristians.com have now produced a thought-provoking timeline chart, showing one potential chain of events in the near future, leading to global socioeconomic collapse and World War III. This "fast track" view of collapse is similar to the views expressed by many SurvivalBlog readers. Their chart is keyed to interpretations of Biblical prophecy, such as Daniel Chapter 7, Luke Chapter 21, and Revelation Chapter 17.

   o o o

Commandos for Jesus: Meet the former Green Berets delivering aid to some of the most blighted corners of Burma, and saving souls along the way.

"My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body.
Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
Behold also the ships, which though [they be] so great, and [are] driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." - James 3:1-10 (KJV)

September 22nd in the birthday of the late Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Reid-Daly (born 1928, died August 9, 2010) who founded and commanded the Rhodesian Selous Scouts. His history of the Selous Scouts, titled Pamwe Chete, is fascinating to read, but it is a very hard-to-find book.

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The queue for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest is now almost full, even if I post two articles per day. Any articles that are received from now on will be posted in Round 43.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

TEOTWAWKI may leave you alone with nothing. Nothing but your knowledge of what is available to you as a means of survival and defending yourself. Hopeful you have enough skills to find essential items required to survive. Time is limited and for an active person foraging for food, protecting themselves and seeking safe shelter. Without these life essentials, this is (on average) how much time you have to survive: Air -3 minutes, Shelter at O degrees Celsius - 3 hours, water - 3 days, food - 30 days. Take care of these and half your battle of survival is won!

When I was a child I saw my father beaten until bloodied by a crazed man in a shopping mall parking lot. My dad went to aid a fellow patron and left with his glasses broken, bloody nose, and torn clothing. Being about 5 years old I could do little to help him. He didn’t even call the cops and we never spoke about it again. Humans can be absolutely ferocious and can inflict a lot of damage in a short amount of time.

I walk my dog daily in my suburban setting. About once a year we are confronted by loose dogs. Most all dogs attack my dog and not me. My dog and I have chosen to run most of the time, but on occasion they must be confronted. I have pepper sprayed dogs, kicked smaller ones and last month we out ran a 200 pound Rottweiler that (lucky for my dog and I) was very out of shape. Human and dogs are mammals and when they are desperate and fearful they can and will harm you.

Mammals have triggers that set in motion reactions to events and circumstances in which they encounter. An injured, cornered and fearful animal is one of those dangerous encounters. A desperate, hungry, fearful human can be one of those dangerous encounters. JWR's emphasis on charity is a good and reminds us what it means to be human. The most important aspect of being human is being civil. Even in our fairly civilized world you can be still be taken advantage of or robbed of your belongings.

So what’s my point here…If all or most my prepared supplies were not on my person or near by (which could happen) what would I have to work with to survive. I may be hunted, I may be hungry, I may be tired and I may need to defend myself. TEOTWAWKI will bring out the best and worst in people. We need to see the good in all people, but be very aware of the evil in the world, especial a desperate world. And if people get desperate and are scared there is bound to be confrontation and unpleasant encounters.

I have thought about the simplest form of defense for a human. Presently and throughout history. No matter what weapons and situation you are confronted with, I believe there are 10 basic actions that can balance the scale of survival in your favor. Hopefully you are well stocked at home or your retreat as well as having properly equipped your vehicle and legally well weaponized your body. But if you are not… then lets get to the very basics and add on from that point. Naked is definitely a challenging place to start and I definitely do not want to start there.

I hope these ten promote discussion between you and yours.

1. To Trust- your inner power. If you feel that something doesn’t feel right…THEN IT ISN’T RIGHT! I believe humans have lost a sixth sense. A sense that was much more prevalent in the humans of pre-history. A time in history before we filled our minds with vanity, commerce and material values to survive. Get in touch with your inner power. Feel your way though a situation by opening your eyes and all your senses in order to take in the entire scene. Avoid confrontation at all cost in order to conserve energy and resources. Your may have minutes to change your path or maybe just a few seconds. If it feels right…act. Double check your approach if you have time, think through outcomes in your mind. Trust yourself and visualize a positive outcome.

2. To Run- run means escape, escape means freedom, freedom means survival. Yes you may be shot at, but you are a moving target. Set up your moment to run. Buy time if you can, look for opportunity set a goal for success. For example, If confronted straight on. “I have money in my sock!” Reach down to get the money out of your sock. You are now in a track and field starting position, turn and go! Run today for fun and good health and it may be your greatest weapon of all… free to fight another day.

3. To Hide- Chinese proverb “Better to hide then run”. Running gives you distance, but running can keep you visible. Hiding can make you invisible, because you may not be able to get distance. As Kids at night we would throw snowballs at cars just to get chased. I had adults walk right past me often as I crouched motionless in one of my well planned hiding spots. What hides you? The darkness, objects you can get under, an object you get on top of, you decide. A good hiding place is a short term solution to evade capture and move forward to a safer destination or double back to an original starting point.

4. Your Hands- hands can be trained to act as weapons. A finger held stiff applied to soft tissue of the adversary can slow or even stop the aggressor. Imagine the pain of a thumb in the eye. As a college student my brother was holding down someone in a large brawl when he was cold cocked in the nose. It was broken… end of fight for him. The hand to the nose is what I believe is the most import point of contact for self defense. Aim for the nose. It is the center of the face and makes a good target. Did you ever bump your nose? Eyes water, you can’t see a thing and it hurts! To train hit something often to get your hand quick and strong. If these hands get tied it’s game over. I would fight to the death before I would ever let someone tie my hands.

5. Legs – Stay in good shape so you can use them. If you are knocked off your feet all is not lost. Check out Native American Ground Fighting and you will see the advantage of good strong legs. Swift feet can gain great distance. Exercise those legs, because without good legs it’s more difficult to defend yourself.

6. A Stick - Smack it hard on the ground, then firmly against a tree. “Strong and light is good for a fight”. One end tapered and one end thicker to hit with force. A good walking stick is a good weapon as well. I work out with a 3 foot 1 inch thick round dowel. I stretch with it and practice defensive maneuvers many of which I learned while studying martial arts. I choose this size because it is much like a cane which is what I will be using in my elder years.

7. Stones – Humans have stoned each other to death as mentioned in the Bible. A stone the size of a golf ball can be hurled effectively. A pouch of stones is a pouch of weapons. Stone lashed to a stick is a club. It worked for our ancient ancestors! Throw snowball this winter and work on your aim.

8. Improvised weapons. I saw a girl in bar when I was in college wail a man in the head with her pocket book so hard he fell to the ground. What ever you can find, whatever you can make. Improvise! Be creative in anyway possible to destroy your foe. Think of what could be done with the following objects: sand, tightly rolled magazine, keys, your thumb, a water bottle, belt with buckle, stick, stone, rock, hairbrush, etc. I always try to have something on me that can work as a weapon. Year round my 18 inch ice scraper is right next to the driver seat in my van. Better to have something within reach, then nothing. Legally I like fold out utility pliers with an assortment of small tools embedded in them including a knife. Leatherman is the best brand in my opinion. Non-lethal weapons such as pepper spray and Tasers are often legal depending on the city or state.

9. Knife – The glint and shine of a sharp object can be a strong deterrent. Never ever does anyone or anything ever get that knife out of your hands. I am not a knife expert but I do practice what I have been taught. A knife to me is synonymous with survival. Leading up to # 10 I can’t resist this old saying: “Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight”.

10. A Gun – The equalizer. The ability to hold several people at bay while you get to a safer environment. Try not to shoot anyone here in New York. The bad guy’s lawyer will have a field day. It is your God given and constitutional right to protect family and friends from those evil doers who have threatened you in your home or on your land. It can even protect the evil foe from doing harm to others and himself. The only way to accomplish that is to have the ultimate equalizer in your well trained hands. Practice often and enjoy the terrific sport of riflery. The NRA offers wonderful programs for the beginner.

Our objective is to work together with like minded people to strengthen ourselves against anything that may do us harm on the way to achieving our goals.

The healthy human mind doesn't contempt the what if's in reference to survival. Why should it? The very thought of such a thing does not factor in a persons average day. Especially given how people live there daily lives going about life on the railway to the normalcy train. That redundant moment in time when all is the same and sane . Waking up to conduct a normal work day of work and routine. Having a decent breakfast or rushing off fast grabbing a bite from either the microwave or the nearest fast food outlet, just to beat the morning "rush hour" traffic. Getting oneself done and ready to take on the average ordinary day of doing 9-5 and earning a decent paycheck. No. The healthy human mind doesn't see the potential for collapse on both the economic or societal scale, let alone contemplating the very realistic notion that it all could come to a crashing end over night. Such a thing is anathema to "normal" thinking. Where is the Mindset for that contingency? How does one get ready to handle such a catastrophic change? More importantly, how does one cope with it? Good questions.
Having been an 0311/8152 in the USMC back in the time of the Berlin Wall collapse to Operation Desert Shield/Storm and Restore Hope Somalia gave me a unique perspective on the matter. Let me state that you do not have to be in the military to gain the Mindset. You do not have to be a member of any three lettered alphabet soup agency. You already possess it and are not aware of it.  The Mindset was brought about for me by seeing the world for what it truly was.  That of a beautifully terrifying place is one not aware of his/her surroundings and a place of varied cultures and beliefs that should not be taken for granted. Having the Mindset will help you get through the toughest of times. It will equally help you empower those around you that are not in the know of what is going on, giving them the strength of mind to carry on and to survive. Having been to Third World countries, I got the chance to truly take stock in how good I lived and how much we have taken for granted. Having asked myself, "What would America do were it in this position?" "Could we survive a nuclear attack?" "What if the Grid went down? "EMP?" These were the thoughts that ran through my head. It was enough to drive anyone insane, yet I maintained the Mindset in that no matter what may happen or that would come my way, I will survive. Being 41, divorced with two little girls the need for having a strong and healthy Mindset is evermore imperative. The way one achieves this is through setting one's spirit right in the Divine , that will help out in tremendous ways. Let me state for the record that I am not a Bible-thumper. The word of the Almighty and His promises of things to come rings true and He will sustain you, but like that old saying, God helps those who helps themselves. That's where your ability comes in through the strength of your will to see you through. You don't have to be Hercules or  Sampson to have this. You simply have to be the real you. We all have that potential to do this.  Improvise! Adapt! Overcome! These three very important words of the Marine Corps have seen the Marines through many bloodied tight spots all around the world. The human mind is a very powerful weapon and as such it should be nurtured through good actions and deeds not only one's self, but to others. Being positive regardless of the circumstance and/or situation  will see you through. The process is not an instant thing, it requires determination of will and spirit to make things happen in your favor and for that of your loved ones. What you project will invariably have a direct impact on those around you. Self-Esteem and empowerment will help you make the right choices in getting prepared.

Decisions are based on independent research of the various topics that are affecting you. The imploding economy. Increased social unrest and dissatisfaction with the "order of things". The GWOT. The machinations of the Elite and so forth. Being pressed by these things can take a heavy toll on the human mind and thus create much anxiety, restlessness, and tension. How do you fight back? How do you win? The Mindset will see you through, by right of appropriate action, i.e., (listening to like-minded independent media, talking to others who feel as you do, looking for alternatives to see you through the uncertainties, etc...) you will avoid being a part of the mirror-shade masses that would rather live in denial. Equally, you also have avoided becoming part of the hyper-paranoid minded people that are on the verge of mental breakdown. Clarity of thought will see you through the murkiness and useless banter of the mainstream media and other groups out there that say being a "prepper" is bad and other negative connotations that they label folks us as. As far as I am concerned, being level-headed and cool under the pressure is key to survival, in any situation. Making the right choices is not always the coolest thing to do in terms of wanting the more expensive name brand items, but getting what is essential to your survival and that of your family should be first and foremost. You may find yourself in a rut in not having the necessary funds to get what you really want, but if you have enough to get a decent water filtrations system for example, you have taken the first step in making that right decision. Having the Mindset does not make one an uber-survivor of all things, but rather it makes one the ideal survivor by allowing one to discern what one needs and does not need. The old saying of you can never have too much of something is true in some respects, but not all. A gluttonous mind is a wasteful thing. A timid mind is a fragile thing. A balanced mind is right in all things. Knowing when to say when in terms of getting what you need for survival is important and how to utilize the items purchased is of great import too. It is the arrogant mind that buys and buys getting the latest in whatever is on the market, yet never bother to learn, train, or utilize the procured items until the actual time of need. That leads to unnecessary consumption of energy and time. Such a mindset would be costly to not only the individual, but also to loved ones in need. The balanced mind would do well to practice with and train with all relevant equipment and materials purchased. Through repetition and use of the items, one becomes familiar with things. This familiarity will lead one to accomplishing the needed goals in a timely fashion. No hesitation. No doubts.  This in turn leads to self-empowerment of the mind. A most positive outcome to a hectic situation. Having avoiding any further complications. Decisions of this nature will almost always produce a positive and uplifting result. Decide to invest in getting what you know will be right for you, not everything that is out there will be for you, take a solid recon of where you live. The environment. Is it feasible to live out in the area? Can you make it work for you? Will you have to relocate? If so, then where to? These questions should have crossed everyone's mind at some point in time and rightful decisions have to made to accommodate the "what ifs". Decisions. Decisions. Making the right choice comes down to having a good solid mindset.

Knowledge is power as the saying goes. Good solid practical know-how will see you through many things both simple and complex. Not everyone is survival expert, I am not. My expertise lies in land warfare and certain aspects of unconventional warfare, but that is no excuse for me not to have some knowledge readily available and on-hand should I need a reference to how to determine if a plant is edible or poisonous or how to treat a burn. These issues are of importance and should not be left on the back burner. I carry my PUSH pack with me wherever I go and in that pack I have the SAS Survival Handbook by John "Lofty" Wiseman. Talk about convenience! Everything I need in a small little book and for my backup I have Les Stroud's SURVIVE! I'm not making a sales pitch here gang, just some pretty good honorable mentions because I may have to utilize their knowledge one day. Chance favors the prepared mind. Having such books or as I call it, Tomes of Survival on hand will definitely increase your chances of survival in any given situation. Read the book from front to back and read them at differing times so that the knowledge inside is retained  in your mind. If you're not familiar with issues like Land Navigation, then either purchase a manual on it or download the U.S. Army LandNav manual in PDF or take the time to learn the basics of survival from a person that teaches the skill set. If there is one thing that is in absolute abundance and is generally free of charge, that is knowledge. Fishing. Learning how to signal. Marksmanship. Archery and Targeting are very good applied knowledge.  If one likes communications and radio, then obtaining a ham license is the way to go, something I am endeavoring to get. Knots and ropes is important from everything when it comes to building shelters and makeshift items to making traps to get wildlife for sustenance. Sailors knots are a good to know, a book on knot tying or a U.S. Navy Blue Jackets Manual is a good reliable source on knots and how to tie them. Cutting up one's catch is no easy feat and that takes time and repetition, if one is not careful in the cutting and slicing of their catch, one could accidentally cut an organ that would contaminate the catch, thus ruining the meal and starting the entire process over for the hunt again. That means time lost.  The bottom line here is simply, knowledge gained and applied gives great rewards. Knowledge acquired for the sake of it and not put to use, can lead to potential disaster.  Having the right knowledge makes for a solid mindset.

Skill set is important. Having a set of general skills or specialized skills in a survival situation will see you or your family through some tough times. Adaptation is key here. A person with a mechanical or electrical skill set would have the ability to make jury rigged devices run to produce power for a house or vehicle. Marksmanship skills are definitely a plus for hunting and/or defense. Knowing how to hit a target at distance takes more than just aiming the weapon and shooting. Learning the why's and how's of a round travels downrange, the various shooting positions, breathing techniques, and trigger discipline makes one not only better marksman, but also makes one better appreciate the overall value of the skill. Remember the basics of marksmanship: Aim. Breathe. Relax. Squeeze (NOT pull the trigger!). Shoot.  Communications/Oratory skill set is somewhat undervalued and should not be taken as such, the power of speech, to convey intentions makes a world of difference when it comes to bartering for goods and merchandise or how about the potential for outbreak of hostilities? Good oratory skills combined with a competent mindset can potentially diffuse hostile actions. Writing skills are good as to keep a record of events for historical reasons. Skill sets can really be of benefit. Technical skills are good from anywhere to making fuel preservatives for stored petrol to field expedient antennas to receive emergency communiques from ham operators. Mountaineering is excellent, who would ever think that an accountant could be a competent mountaineer, but such people do exist and should not be frowned upon. Intimate knowledge of the terrain and where to step and climb could mean the difference between life and death. By taking the time to learn something new, one's ability to adapt has increased exponentially.  There is always some new to learn when it comes to survival and it is best to take advantage of the learning while the chance is given. 

Preparedness  is the overall important factor when in the survival mindset. Going about your daily lives is good and well, but being knowing that you are prepared as best you cane be with the resources given will make all the difference in the world.  As having the survival mindset, you should already have at the minimum all the basics you need at any given time. A basic reaction pack. This small, but very necessary pack should have  a survival tin/kit with all that suits your basic survival needs. Whether it is a pre-packaged survival kit or a hand-made one, this kit should have all that you need based on the environment that you are currently living in and/or where you anticipate in operating in. A small book on survival, as I mentioned in the Knowledge part, a book like the SAS Survival Guide or SURVIVE! would be good books to have on hand as easy reference guides in case anything is missed. A dedicated flashlight for signaling and moving into dark areas or reading maps at night. A map of the region you are in and a solid compass. Other items of interest that would be of value to you is a small radio (i.e., C. Crane Radio's CC SW Pocket) it is a handy shortwave am/fm radio. Good to have on hand.  Gloves  are a good item to have stored in your pack. Notepads, pens, and pencil. Making an illustration of a landmark or drawing a hasty map of a particular area might be helpful for future references. 550 Paracord at least 15 to 25 feet. Butane lighter (the perfect mini-torch). Other items that suits your basic needs. Your grab and go pack should be packed for at least 72 hours out in the field. An evacuation pack should just about everything you need to survive and make it out in the field. In terms of food, not everyone can afford the gourmet foodstuffs or the emergency food stocks. Worry sets in and anxiety wreaks havoc on the mind, especially with knowing what is coming our way. The alternatives to this are canned goods and/or my favorite, MRE (Meals-Ready to Eat). Having these items can go long ways and are pretty easy to ration if done right.

Caution and Discretion. Being in the survival mindset means that you don't panic. To do that will inhibit your ability to function. Reality checks tend to bite, but having a level head and prayer will carry you on and bring about stability. Stability grants one the sense of clarity. In that clarity, your mindset will run smoothly. Water is important. Having a decent portable water filtration system will save you from much pain and unneeded medical issues. Knowing that you are prepared on the basic level will help you function well for those unpredictable moments, if you have longer time to prepare your homes and your family for such uncertainties, then you are good to go. When it comes to being prepared, it pays to keep things on the down-low. Sales and advertising to people you know, but are not tight with the risk for being compromised becomes great. The times that we are living in and about to experience will be unprecedented, people that you know to be good, but are not prepared will be coming your way for your stocks that you have set for you or your family. No matter how prepared you are in terms of food you must remember that the items you have will be in limit. Once everything stops flowing life will be going back down into the basics of things as it were in Pre-Industrial America. The people who have the major one up on us in this arena are those that live in third world countries. Taking things for granted and having that sense of having it all and never running out will be a very hard deal for those that live in that denial mindset. Such a mindset is extremely dangerous. Good people can live in denial. We see it every day. When good people go bad is when you will have a lot to deal with. The desperation that sets in. The chaos. Violence will be the order of the day in most areas. Some communities will be like miniature forts. Being in a good strong mindset will permit you to do what is right and to ensure your survival and that of your loved ones. Be every watchful of what's going in your community, city, and state. Look to the independent media for unbiased information on what is going on in the world. Most people have lived under the false premise that what happens in one corner of the world will not affect our corner of it. That's plain wrong. That's bad thinking. Two world wars have invalidated that mindset. The world economies is where to look and from there, if interpreted right, you can figure out what might be coming your way. We have all be affected by this very issue and now things have gotten pretty delicate. Foreign troops in CONUS in unprecedented numbers. U.S. troops being placed on the lines fighting not being aware of what is truly happening back here at home. Seismic/Volcanic activities on the rise. Ecological issues. The list goes on. All of these issues comes into play for that one word: PREPAREDNESS. Get into the mindset of survival. If you are already in this mindset, you are in a good place and secure in your ability to make it through these upcoming dark times. If you are not, do not panic. Read up on what was provided here in my writings and look into the similar writings from other people too. We are a community that is absolutely unique in every way possible. Empower yourself. It's alright to feel on edge, but do not let that feeling override your survival mindset.

Comfort and Sanity can come in the form of a having some good books to read should the power grid go down. Issues of cooking can be resolved with backup propane tanks for your grills when the gas lines cease to operate. A sun oven is an excellent alternative to cooking, potable water, and sanitation issues. Backup generators in the form of petrol or solar powered would be of immense help for lighting in addition to having backup canisters of kerosene with a fuel preservative longer shelf life for lanterns. Candles are good as well. To help bring ease on the psychological aspects, having a decent movie selection in your home would prove to help take off the edge. For me it is meditation, prayer, and a good book. We must never forget that the mind also craves food too, whether it be a good novel, the Bible, or some other type of activity. Keep yourselves mentally active in a good way. Stay physically fit as possibly. A strong healthy body goes hand in hand with a strong healthy mind. I have never been in such a situation like this before, but I revert back to my discipline and training from the Marine Corps and the additional skill sets I have acquired as a civilian to see me through. It's going to be an interesting ride for all of us. You can persevere if you have the right mindset.

Remember to keep a strong mindset! Never give in to the fear. Be strong in your faith. Be vigilant. Pray that we may all get through these uncertain times. Be proud to be a prepper! That's all I have for now. Semper Fidelis.

Green Acres: The Case for Investing in Farmland Now

Jim W. mentioned some commentary on empty retail store parking lots, over at The Burning Platform: Are You Seeing What I'm Seeing?

QE3's looming flaw: Big banks' mortgage operations

Marc Faber Warning: Store Your Gold Overseas

Items from The Economatrix:

Fed's "QE-Infinity" Will Push Gold to $2,400

Deposit Flight From Europe Banks Eroding Common Currency

10 Shocking Quotes About What QE3 is Going to Do to America

Gerald Celente:  Criminal Banksters Launching New World War

Mark A. suggested this article at the NRA's web site: If you had to choose one gun—and only one gun—to get you through a disaster, what would it be?

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Michael Yon: Afghanistan: When the Moon Sets, Watch Out. (Thanks to S.O. for the link.)

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Pierre M. mentioned a leather Axe Sling, made in Vermont. "Unless you are a lumberjack, the only time it would be socially acceptable to walk around with an axe strapped to your back is if the streets were swarming with brain-hungry zombies. That being said, this does look pretty cool in a leg-slapping Bavarian folk dance kinda way."Pierre also sent a link another brand that is less expensive. All zombie jokes aside, these do have some utility, particularly for carrying a limbing axe when you are out in the woods with your hands full--namely a gas can in one hand and a chainsaw in the other.

Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear [them].
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." - Isaiah 1:113-17 (KJV)

I'd like to reiterate my apologies for not responding to all of the e-mails that I receive. There just aren't enough hours in the day. The problem is that I now get about 300 e-mails per day. Granted, about half of these are spams or Nigerian scams with titles like: "PLEASE VIEW THE ATTACH MASSAGES OF YOUR LATE FUNS" or "You  Have Won 1million GBP Contact Dr. Jackson Ben For Claims." But at least a hundred of each day's e-mails are legitimate, and they often include detailed questions. I'm sorry to say that I simply don't have time to answer all of them. I only post a sample of the letters to the blog, with the originator's names removed and any identifying elements carefully edited out. I wish I could do more, but I simply can't do so without a couple of clones of myself. And I'm sure we'd waste a lot of time arguing amongst ourselves.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

After you have spent the summer growing all of that fresh produce, it always seems like everything ripens all at the same time.  There are many ways that you can preserve those fruits and vegetables for the winter; canning, dehydrating, freezing, and root cellar.  I do not have a root cellar, so I rely completely on canning, freezing, and dehydrating. 

To dehydrate your produce you will need a food dehydrator or you can simply use the sun and sundry them.  Some items such as apples, potatoes, pears, et cetera need to be pre-treated to prevent browning.  You have the choice of buying a product called fresh fruit or use lemon juice.  Fill a large bowl with water and one tablespoon of your produce protector and after you peel and slice your items, soak them for a few minutes and then place them in a single layer on your dehydrator racks and dry.  If you are sun drying, bring your trays in at night and then in the morning place them back out in the sun until done.  If you are using a commercial dehydrator, all you have to do is set it to the appreciate temperature and plug it in.  I always check on them every couple of hours to make sure everything is going good.  Once they are done, place whatever you dried into a glass jar and screw on the lid after about an hour so that the remaining moisture can redistribute evenly then place in a sunny window seal for a couple of hours, make sure to place it lid side down.  When you go back to check on it, if you notice moisture on the top (bottom part) of the jar, then you need to dehydrate longer as there is too much moisture remaining, if there is no moisture, then it is safe to package and put up.  Make sure to label everything with what it is and the date that you packaged it as to help with rotation.

Canning is a little more complicated and time consuming.  I did peaches two weeks ago and have an order in for 80 lbs of tomatoes and 38 lbs of pears that I will be picking up this weekend on top of what is coming out of my garden this weekend.  When I did the peaches, I made and canned a peach pie filling, peach butter, peach jam, and sliced peaches.  Since I have already done the peaches that is what I will be talking about.  When you do sliced peaches, make a light to medium syrup, I used a medium which is 5 1/14 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar.  Place in a pot and stir until the sugar has dissolved and then bring to a boil.  Fill your water bath canner with water and get that started heating up.  Wash your jars and keep them hot.  Get your lids soaking in warm water.  Peel, slice, and pit your peaches and treat them to prevent browning.  You can peel them by placing them into a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes and then place them into another pot or bowl of ice water.  The skin will peel right off.  Pack your peaches into your hot jars and then cover with your syrup leaving a ½ in headspace (the amount of space between the top of the jar to the top of your peaches and syrup).  Make sure to remove any air bubbles and add more syrup if needed.  Wipe off your rims and cover with your two piece lid and screw band and place in your canner.  For my altitude I process mine for 20 minutes for pints and 25 for quarts.  Check your altitude before you start your timing as this will affect the amount of time needed for processing.  When you are canning anything, you are heating your product up to a high enough temperature to kill and molds and bacteria that cause spoilage while pushing the remaining air out causing a vacuum seal.  Once you remove your jars, leave them alone until completely cooled or overnight.  Remove your screw band and press on the center of the lid, if you do not feel it give then you have a good seal.  I always then just to make sure, try to pull off the lid and if it doesn’t then I am positive that I have a good seal.  Label the lid with what is in the jar as well as the date and store in a cool dark place.  The higher the temperature, the less amount of time your canned goods with last.  As the temperature goes up, the nutrients go down. 

Some items have to be processed in a pressure canner.  I did corn a couple weeks ago and they are a perfect example of one.  Husk and wash your corn and then blanch it.  Blanching your corn stops the enzymes that corn naturally has that makes them go bad.  Cut your corn off of the cob and pack in you jars (this is cold packing).  That or you can cut the corn off of the cob and then boil it for several minutes and then pack them in your jars (this is hot packing).  Just like with a boiling water bath canner, you want everything ready when you get started.  For pint jars add 1/2 teaspoon of salt on top of each jar and quarts add 1 teaspoon.  Wipe the rim clean and adjust your two piece lid.  Place in your pressure canner and add the lid.  Corn needs to be under 10 pounds of pressure so place your pressure rings on.  Once your vent pops up then begin your timing.  For my elevation, I process corn for 90 minutes for quart jars.  [JWR Adds: Consult a standard home canning reference book such as Ball Blue Book of Preserving for details for you elevation.] When processing is over turn off the heat and allow all of the pressure to escape before opening you canner.  Do not remove the weights to speed up the process as your jars or entire canner can explode.  Once you can safely open your canner, the process is the same as with a water bath canning, place the jars on the counter and allow to completely cool and then check your seals.

When you are ready to use a jar of something that you have canned, first look at it, check for mold or discoloration, or cloudy liquids.  If any of those is present don’t eat it, throw it away.  Once you open your jar, smell it, if it has a bad odor, and again don’t eat it.  If all is good, enjoy.  Preserving your own harvest is a very rewarding thing to do.  You get to dictate what goes into your food and therefore what you and your family are eating.  You know the quality of the food that you are canning/dehydrating and therefore know you are eating the best most nutritious foods.

When it comes to freezing, some things need to be blanched prior to freezing.  I just did some corn on the cob and this is something that has to be blanched first.  Get a big pot of water boiling, husk your corn, when the water is boiling add your corn on the cob.  Allow to return to a boil and boil for 1 minute.  Remove from the water and allow to cool and dry.  Package in your freezer bag, label with the date, and freeze.

For preserving the harvest, freezing has to be the easiest to do and the less time consuming, however if the power were to go out and not come back on for awhile or not at all, this method is the least effective since everything would defrost and you would have to either process again by either canning or dehydrating or eat it all before it goes bad.  Canning and dehydrating are the most effective for food storage as they do not need refrigeration or a freezer to maintain their freshness.  Yes, these methods are more time consuming, however, if there is no power, there is nothing else that you have to do with them and you are not process the same products twice, they are already done. 

With my garden I plant only heirloom seeds that way I can save the seeds from what I grow to use the next year.  I always save more then what I need to plant next year so as to have some for barter should TEOTWAWKI happens prior to the next summer coming.  It doesn’t cost me anything to save some extra seeds and it doesn’t take any more time to clean and dry the extra.  I don’t have the money to be able to stock up on extra food for bartering with, however, I can save seeds to barter with and then someone else will be able to grow their own food as well.

The last thing that I am going to touch on is what to do with all of the peels and pieces of the fruits and vegetables that you do not keep.  If you have animals, feed these parts to them.  We have chickens and they eat most of the scraps that I have left that I don’t use.  What I don’t feed to them, I put in my compost bin to use in the garden next year.  Nothing should go to waste.

When preparing for TEOTWAWKI, or any lesser natural or "man made" disaster, it can be mind numbing with all the list, needs, "to do's", training, purchases, and planning it really takes to become self sufficient. As you prepare it becomes very apparent how complicated modern life is and exactly how vulnerable our sophisticated society has become. Most Preppers actively research via the internet, routinely learn new self sufficiency skills, train, buy supplies, and are most likely to be ardent supporters of the 2nd Amendment. But there is one area of training that must be considered by Preppers and can be summarized in one question:  Have you mentally prepared to kill another human being?

This question is not as easy as you might think to answer. At your next social gathering try discussing the  killing of another a human being with friends or family. How quickly would that conversation sour and you then find yourself alone in a room full of people? I have learned in my 17 years of law enforcement to not discuss the daily killing and violence of the streets outside of my fellow police officers. Even with my wife as the subject is a taboo that makes most people uncomfortable and is awkward to even bring up. As new preppers, my wife has cautioned me to not discuss why we prep with friends and family as some people do not want to see the possibilities of societal collapse or other disasters, let alone violent confrontation and use of deadly force. How many people do you know that hate to even talk about hunting or butchering farm animals for food? Just the mere talk of killing is a near taboo subject let alone the actual action of killing.

Most preppers believe, or assume, they have the guts, the will, required to kill another human being. The ability, not desire, to kill is perhaps the most important preparation you can make before TSHTF. All the time, effort, and money you spent stock piling food, building, planning for your escape, prepping for your family's survival can be all for naught when the first looter with a gun shows up to rob you of your supplies. If you can not kill, or hesitate to kill, you may lose all of your supplies, your G.O.O.D. vehicle at best or your life at the worst. The decision to take another's life is a difficult decision, but civil society is not infallible and criminals do not set appointments with their victims and they may force the issue upon you.

I'm not a philosopher, psychologist, or sociologist so I'm not going to give technical or scientific reasoning why people kill. However, from my seventeen years of patrol I believe that most people do not like confrontation. Confrontation always has its risks, no matter the scale of the conflict, from name calling to murder, and most people are wise to avoid it when necessary. Death can occur from what started out as a minor conflict. This is where criminals step in and take advantage of civil people. The criminal has learned how to exploit the fear of confrontation. Criminals know that when they say "boo" the average civil person does not want confrontation and will back down. They know how to read another's body language for weakness and pounce when they see it. Criminals are always testing each other for weaknesses to determine who will be the top dog. The average gang member lives like a piranha, always looking for a weak person to pounce on, even if it's one of their own.  The average criminal spends most of his day thinking how to gain an advantage over a weaker opponent, including you! All but a very small minority of criminals know their actions are illegal as they run from the police or others who resist their actions. Murder is the most heinous price of conflict between people. Murderers have forsaken societal norms for what ever reason and have lost their inhibitions of killing. After a disaster, man made or not, the criminal will have an advantage as his standards of respecting life and other's property is already lower than that of civil people.

But life is precious for the civil person. We teach our children killing is wrong as well as other anti-social activity. Our schools, churches, social groups, friends and families all set examples for us as we grew up how to act civilly, what is and is not inappropriate behavior, and that most confrontation is frowned upon. Many schools have adopted a ridiculous policy of zero tolerance in which both the child aggressor and victim involved in a school yard fight are suspended. What a disservice to our children as this horrible mentality teaches and enforces the idea that the child can not defend themselves and that they must rely on help from a government representative (teacher or staff) to protect them. Self defense starts with the individual and ends many long minutes later when law enforcement finally arrives. There are too many examples of good people standing by doing nothing while another is attacked by a criminal. At best, the the police maybe called for you during a confrontation with a criminal.

In a Judeo-Christian context it is a major sin to murder. Search "murder" in a digital version of the Bible and look at the dozen after dozen of references against murder. The following are a few that I quickly found:

1. Cain paid a heavy price for killing his brother. (Genesis 4:8-14)
2. God warned Noah, "Who so sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."(Genesis 9:6).
3. The tenth commandment, "Thou shall not kill."
4. Exodus 21:12, "He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall surely be put to death." (Exodus 21:12 ASV). No wondering what god's intent for murderers is after reading the bible.

Though there are plenty of biblical references that do refer to killing such as David slaying Goliath, it happens to be that Judeo-Christian followers do not want to kill. We would rather help a hurting person than kill, ergo the good samaritan. The proof of Americans good will and desire to help others is more than evident by the amount of charity Americans donate every year to mitigate an overseas disaster or help others we will never meet. More than any other country we give and help till it hurts. We know the power of goodwill and giving. As a society we loath murderers so much so that we see fit to incarcerate them for life time sentences or death, all at great expense to the tax payers. And without such a disdain for murder, a civil society would never exist. But we preppers are not preparing for a civil society and thus your killer mind set, your resolve, must be established before TSHTF.

After WWII, the Marshall study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the US forces. It found that a surprising small number, approx. 15%, of soldiers actually fired their weapons in combat. The military trained these soldiers to fight, but not necessarily to kill. Col. David Grossman, a personal favorite author of mine, has pointed out in his books and public speeches is that roughly 4% of the population have the ability to kill. That means the vast majority of people(sheep)are peaceful non-confrontational people. Half of those who are more inclined to kill are criminals with the other half hopefully serving as soldiers, police officers and CCW gun permit holders (sheep dogs). The stigma of killing is very strong, as it should be for a civil society, and must not be over looked before TSHTF.

As a kid growing up in central Nebraska I had my share of hunting deer, pheasants, and quail as well as  butchering farm animals. After high school, I first enlisted in the US Army, entered the Green to Gold program, and eventually became a commissioned officer in a combat arms unit. In the Army I had hundreds hours of firearms instruction from the M1 tank, to rifles, grenades, rockets, missiles, machine guns, and pistols. There was also a lot of maneuver training, and large company sized live fire exercises. The Army did its best to prepare me for the stress of combat and like many a young combat arms officers, I dreamt of winning glory in battle. But marriage, kids, and a shrinking Army after Desert Storm ended my dreams of battlefield glory. I then jumped into law enforcement as a way to chase glory and honor. As a new police officer I was again regularly trained to shoot by experienced officers who knew the dangers of the streets and the importance of being able to rapidly draw ones pistol and put accurate fire onto a threat. With this background you could easily assume that I had been fully prepared for the possibility of killing another human being.

Unfortunately I wasn't. Early in my rookie year I was on patrol at about 10:00 PM on a summer night. I came across a car in a closed city park. Next to the car were four young males and since the park was closed I drove up to send them on their way. As I drove up, all four subjects walked quickly to their car and did not appear to want my attention. When I exited my patrol car the subject at the left rear of the suspect car quickly spun on me revealing his hand holding a gun tucked into his waist band. My years of training kicked in as I do not remember pulling my duty pistol from its holster and found it pointed center mass on the armed suspect. The suspect drew his pistol from his waist band and started to bring it up at me. Then I failed. I yelled at him several times to drop his gun when I should have shot him several times in the chest instead. After what seemed like minutes, but was only milliseconds, the suspect dropped his gun. Though no one was hurt, I actually lost this battle. I was presented with an armed suspect who was pulling a gun on me and I had near fatal reservations about shooting another human being. All four suspects were armed and in possession of ski masks preparing for an armed robbery. I was extremely lucky that their will to kill was less than mine as I was outnumbered four to one. Though I had been trained to how to fight and shoot I had not adequately prepared myself for the actual moment I needed to kill. The stigma of killing another person was so strong that I did not want to shoot. I do not blame anyone else or any or the training that I received as I consider most of training and instructors as capable and very knowledgeable with decades of street experience among them. They had given me the instruction, their knowledge, their experiences to their fullest extent to prepare me for a lethal encounter. I had just not yet committed myself mentally, to being able to shoot and kill another human being. So the lesson learned is that this is your decision to make and it needs to be made before "that moment."

Nor am I the only officer who has flinched at the wrong moment. I now believe it is far more common than one would think. I have seen several fellow police officers fail to protect themselves when presented with a deadly threat. I watched in horror as one partner let a suspected drug dealer turn on him holding a gun. My partner, who was between the drug dealer and I, failed to draw his service weapon and could only muster a weak and scared, "what are you doing, put the gun down." Why the prolific drug dealer dropped  his weapon and did not shoot i'll never know. Another officer in my department failed to shoot a known robbery suspect who had just fled another armed robbery. When the officer cornered the suspect, the suspect told the officer he had a gun and that she would have to shoot him. The suspect held his hands at his waist line and and feinted drawing it on the officer. The officer failed to use her side arm and elected to use a Taser twice on the suspect which had little effect on the suspect. A gun was later found in the suspect's car and this officer was reprimanded for failing to adequately protect herself when presented with a deadly threat.  Another partner let the male half of a domestic violence incident go to his bedroom and pick up a shotgun laying on the floor stating that he was going to shoot the officer and then himself. Upon hearing this I ran to the room and found my partner had not yet drawn their weapon! Instead the officer said, "oh you don't want to do that."  Again the officer relied on luck and not resolve to survive the incident. There are several more fail to fire incidents that I witnessed and luckily none of them resulted in injury to the officers. The point is that you do not want to rely on luck or the benevolence of a robber, rapist, or TEOTWAWKI looter.

Several years ago a street cam caught an incident in which two rookie officers and a veteran officer attempted to arrest a suspect in Chicago. A fight broke out as the suspect resisted arrest. As the group was rolling on the ground the suspect pulled a hand gun. The two rookie officers reacted by running away and leaving the lone veteran officer to fight the suspect by himself! Instead of shooting the suspect to prevent their own or fellow officer's possible death or injury, the rookie officers ran away, ouch. The discussion that must have taken place in that locker room at the end of the night's shift!

A very painful example of the lack of resolve to kill can be found by doing a web search on: "Trooper Randy Vetter of the Texas Department of Public Safety". Watching this video makes me physically ill as I see myself and my own failure to shoot incident and I realize how lucky I was to have survived. Trooper Vetter made a car stop in which a elderly male subject immediately exits his car holding a rifle.  The dash cam catches the whole incident that only takes seconds to transpire. The suspect advances on the trooper, aims his rifle at the trooper, and eventually shoots Trooper Vetter, mortally wounding him. Every time I watch this video I scream inside, "shoot!" as the suspect walks towards the trooper's car. It is a hard video to watch and it is a nightmare scenario come true for a majority of police officers. But I suggest watching it and learning from it so you can learn from his sacrifice. No one will every know why Trooper Vetter didn't shoot when needed. But he had the reason, a deadly threat,  and time to do so. Trooper Vetter is heard several times telling the murderer to drop his weapon. I contend that Vetter's desire to not kill over rode his need to kill. Vetter showed to a fault that he valued life, including the life of a man pointing a rifle at him. I am in no way making any type of statement about the other officers bravery or dedication. The fact that they so willingly run towards danger night after night, shift after shift, when others run from trouble, is proof enough of their bravery. Our police officers and soldiers are products of our civil society and its not in most of their DNA to easily kill another human being . My point is if failing to kill when needed can happen to well trained and experienced police officers and soldiers, it can happen you.

Having survived my incident and observing several others failures was irreplaceable experience and training. I swore to never fail to protect myself again as my failure has caused me literal nightmares to this day. Every day as I drive to work I relive my incident, and others, in my head to recall where I made my mistake by hesitating and when I should have shot the suspect to protect myself. I recalled what past instructors had taught was to always watch the hands, as the hands are what kill you. Dirty looks have never killed anyone! I take my department range training very serious and spend time at a local range regularly to keep my skills fresh. I listen and learn from other officer's use of force incidents. I also seek out and attend firearms training on my own time and dime to keep myself mentally prepared.

Thirteen years later my mental preparation, experience, training, and resolve saved the lives of several other officers and nearby civilians. Being the first to arrive for a shots fired call I was startled when I heard the suspect fire two shot gun blast only two houses away. With in minutes numerous other officers arrived and set up a perimeter around the house and numerous civilians removed from the residential street. While waiting for assisting officers to assemble an arrest team and make a call inside the house, a lone male walked out of the house and walked towards a parked car. My partners then left the relative safety of cover and concealment to arrest this male. I continued to cover my partners and thought, "Great this will be over quickly,  where should I go for lunch." It wasn't over and again, the desire to not shoot came out. Seconds later, an extremely drunk suspect walked slowly out of the house and onto the front porch holding a shot gun. The look on his face and his actions scared me and I said to myself, "oh sh**, this is going to happen." After being told to drop the weapon several times, the drunk suspect pointed the shot gun at my exposed partners instead. Myself and another officer shot the suspect numerous times but it took several seconds and numerous hits before the suspect fell to the ground mortally wounded. The whole incident lasted approximately 5-7 seconds from when the subject walked out onto the porch till the last round was fired. I would have been extremely relieved, proud, and satisfied having reached retirement with out ever having used my weapon in the line of duty. It wasn't fun or pleasant and I'll live the rest of my days wishing it had not happened. Had there been any other option than to shoot I would have been relieved, thankful for such an option, but there wasn't. I was however, very relieved that I had not hesitated to shoot, that my aim was accurate under stress, and that I had been able to save my own life as well as others.

Short of enlisting in the Army or Marines and getting a combat tour in Afghanistan what can you do to prepare yourself for "that moment" when the use deadly force is needed?

Regularly Attend Combat Firearms Courses:
First and foremost get top notch firearms training several times a year if possible. The weapon is almost useless with out training as your mindset and skills are the actual mechanism of killing. Training put on by former/current military personnel and police officers with an emphasis on stress situations is preferable. This isn't target practice you are seeking. Not that non-military/ police trainers are incapable instructors, but the soldier or cop has a different mindset from years of combat training and experience in dealing with deadly situations and are more capable of inducing stress into the shoot/don't shoot scenarios. You are looking for stressed based training that police and military service members get routinely. Seek out training that uses soap bullet simulators (simunitions) that allow you to shoot at and be shot by others using real, but modified, firearms. This is perhaps the closest to a real shoot out you can attend with out actually using real bullets. Become so familiar with your firearm that its use is second nature. The more familiar and comfortable you are with your weapon the more effective you become with it. At the moment of need, you will be able to draw your weapon out of unconscious muscle memory rather than deliberate thought and defeat the deadly threat before you.

Seek Out and Interview Combat Winners:
Read about, talk to, and ask questions of those who have been in lethal situations. This can require extreme tact as those who have won a deadly encounter may not be ready to talk about their incident. Be very nonjudgmental and let the winner know that you want to learn from their experience as a means to protect yourself and loved ones. You will learn a lot about the mindset of the winner, which is vastly different from that of a survivor. Survivors did not necessarily participate in their survival and may have been the recipient of incredible luck.  You will learn that you, like the winner, can defeat a threat to your life. Most gun fight winners do not see themselves as special, but lucky. Ask them about the prior training they had, their mindset before the combat started, their initial thoughts and you will discover that they won the battle long before the actual fight took place. Be sure to thank them for their time and service if they are law enforcement or military. Read both fiction and non-fiction books related to the need for deadly force such as Mr. Rawles,"Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse". Reading such books will give you a mental reference, or picture, of when, why, how, as well as a greater resolve to use deadly force when needed. My personal non-fiction favorite books on the subject are written by LTC. David Grossman such as, On Combat, On Killing, and Warrior Mindset.

Video Games:
I know that this may seem ridiculous or silly, but games do help set the mindset. Video games are used through out the military to train its fighters into killers. Pilots, both military and commercial, routinely get mandatory flight simulator time. My police department uses an interactive video game to train for shoot and don't shoot situations. Play one of the current and popular first person shooter war games such as Modern Warfare which are getting more realistic each year. In the game you will see your weapon pointed at a threat target and if you fail to kill your character will get killed instead, most likely by some teenage kid. But when you repeatedly see yourself pulling the trigger and dropping your target you start to mentally over come the taboo of killing. Sad as it is, I do believe these games have contributed to the violence in today's civil society as it does reduce the stigma of killing. And that speaks volumes to their efficacy. When training at my departments use of force simulator, I have to explain to the instructor why I used force on any threat. I must justify my actions as does anyone else who uses force to stop a threat. But the simulator is training me mentally how, when, and why I might need to use deadly force. If I fail to engage the video game target, the target can "kill" me. Short of gaining access to a military or law enforcement simulator, realistic war video games are a training tool.

Review / Watch YouTube Combat Videos:
What a great resource to have to prepare for combat. A search of YouTube will produce hundreds, if not thousands, of police and military combat videos. These videos are excellent tools that show actual combat in action. There is no guessing what combat looks like as the combat is taking place right before the camera. The speed, the violence, the sounds, the action, and the shock are all captured on police dash cams and soldiers video cameras for the viewer to digest. I suggest the police videos best demonstrate how fast, up close, and violent combat can be. Most of the police shooting videos are captured via patrol car video cams capturing the up close combat. While watching these videos you can mentally prepare for future possible scenarios that you may encounter. I watch these videos regularly to dissect what the officer did right, or what they could have done better to protect themselves. Learn from the good, the bad, and the ugly the videos offer. Learn from the failures and success of others.

Obtain A CCW Permit And Use It Regularly:
An armed, civil person thinks differently and acts differently than those who choose not to be armed. Obtaining and using a CCW requires discipline and extra responsibility that the general pubic doesn't, but should understand.  When carrying a gun in public the CCW permit holder has extra responsibilities to carry the weapon, to safe guard it, and most importantly when to deploy it. Knowing your state's CCW requirements fully and knowing when, where, and how your state authorizes deadly force is your responsibility. But it is those responsibilities that force the permit holder to actively think about what they are doing while carrying the weapon and to actively look for threats. It is always best to avoid a fight in the first place and when actively looking for a threat you are more likely to avoid trouble. But more importantly the mind set of the CCW permit holder is vastly different. The confident CCW permit holder knows they have a much better chance of defeating a thief, robber, rapist, child molester, or any other criminal threat. You become the sheep dog and not the sheep. Not only do you have the ability to protect yourself but your loved ones, strangers, and those incapable of defending themselves. The CCW holder is thinking what will they do to the criminal long before a criminal threat appears. Effectively they war game what can happen and how they would react. I practice this every time I go on a call or out with my off duty weapon. I scan the area and mentally war game a scenario and how I'd defeat a threat. I go into every situation determined to win and go home no matter what. The day I don't think I'll win is the day I need to retire. What a difference one or two CCW permit holders could have had at any of the mass murder incidents that have rocked this country over the past decades. Just one armed person could save dozens of lives. Utilizing a CCW will allow to you to be more at ease by routinely carrying a firearm and put your mind set into a shoot, don't shoot mind set.

Become a Reserve Police Officer/Deputy Sheriff:
Experience is training and there is no training like real experience. Becoming a reserve officer is a huge  commitment but the experience is unparalleled. Law enforcement officers run to trouble and wrestle order from chaos nightly. As an officer you are responsible for gaining and maintaining control of a chaotic situation and place your own mortality at risk. As such, officers become very keen on minimizing the risks while maximizing the order. As a reserve officer you learn to take charge of deadly situations and learn when deadly force is necessary. Imagine how much safer and civil our communities would be if more of its citizens engaged part time in keeping the peace, enforcing the law and participating in the safety of their neighbors! Criminals would be wonderfully suppressed and scared to act! Becoming a reserve officer is a big commitment of time and energy, but again the experience is priceless.

Join A Political Action Group:
Join a group/organization that supports constitutional law, personal liberties, gold backed currency, a small federal government, and strong support of the 2nd Amendment. This may seem completely unrelated, but I strongly believe in and advocate avoiding a fight if possible. I'd rather talk a suspect to death to get them into handcuffs, than harm them. Why? If you need to shoot someone your life is at risk as well! Bullets work in both directions! I'd rather slowly push this country back peacefully to constitutional law than to have societal collapse and subject my children to the dangers that collapse anarchy would bring.

Prayer:
Pray for the strength to do what you don't want to do if needed. Pray for the bravery of David as he faced Goliath. Pray for those who have used deadly force to defend themselves or others from criminals or foreign combatants. Having used deadly force myself I can testify to the stress a deadly situation can dump on the cop or soldier. PTSD is no joke. The chemicals that dump into the brain during deadly encounters etch into the brain unbelievable details of the incident that don't go away easily, if at all. Forgive police officers and soldiers that may lose control after years of built up stress and are dragged through the gauntlet of public scrutiny. I'm not excusing bad police behavior in any form. There are bad police officers no doubt. I had to work with one before he was finally terminated. The vast majority of police officers  and soldiers however, are honest, hard working brave men and women. Please remember that they see death and destruction daily and face their own mortality every time they put on their uniforms. The stress builds up on all officers with a high percentage of officers suffering Ill effects. Our brave troops returning from war in Afghanistan or Iraq are no different than those who returned home from Vietnam, Korea, WWII, or any other war and all suffer PTSD to varying degrees. Combat is never pretty or fun and is always ugly. Thank police officers and soldiers when ever you can, it will make their day and remind them that there are more good people in this world than bad. And also pray for the soul of the defeated criminal that they get the peace that eluded their life.

Training for the mental ability, not desire, to kill is one of the most important preps a person can make to safeguard themselves from a criminal confrontation or TEOTWAWKI. Preppers appreciate the fact that dangers do occur and actively take steps to minimize that danger. If disaster comes the unprepared will have no choice but to violently take from those who who have prepared. Thus to protect yourself and your loved ones you may be required to kill those who would hurt, kill, rape, and steal from your life saving preparations. So ask yourself, "Can I kill another human being?", and take action to fight for your life.

Sir:
Concerning the article posted Thursday Sept. 20th, Surviving on Reptiles and Amphibians in a Worst Case Scenario by Misphat, something that that I felt needed clarifying in the article, was concerning what type of turtles.   To make sure that everyone knows that Misphat is talking only about water turtles, the red-ears, sliders, soft shell turtles and the snapping turtles, for only a small example.  The ones found in water or the ones sitting on the log and then sliding into the water when you get too close, there is no problem with eating them. 

My concern is with the box turtle that "could" be found close to water.  It is my understanding, of at least 30 plus years married to a herpetologist, that box turtles should never be eaten because they can eat mushrooms that are poisonous to us humans.  The toxins from those "fungi" can be stored in the tissues of the turtles. 

I couldn't find it written in any of my books and wanted to see if this could be an "urban legend".  After doing a google search and reading turtle forums, (I understand that you can't believe everything from the internet), I found that supposedly the Native Americans did not eat box turtles and that other "predators" could get sick after eating them.  It would be nice to hear from anyone else and see if they agree or not. 

I am not talking about the various "land" tortoises found through out the states, this is only about box turtles.  If this could help just one person not get sick, especially in a SHTF scenario then good.

By the way, I found an interesting web site on turtle cleaning.
Thanks and God Bless, - Ann D.

Jim W. sent: CITI: When Gold Hits $1790, Silver Will Go Bonkers

G.G. flagged this: Tungsten-Filled 10 Oz Gold Bar Found In The Middle Of Manhattan's Jewelry District

Glenn Beck Uses Pies as an Illustration When Discussing Inflation and Tangible Hard Assets

The latest from the LEAP think tank in France: GEAB N°67 is available! Global systemic crisis/October 2012 -The global economy sucked into a black hole and world geopolitics heated to white-hot: The seven key factors of an unprecedented double shock

Items from The Economatrix:

Jeff Berwick-0% Interest Rates Until The System Dies

How QE3 Will Make The Wealthy Even Wealthier While Causing Living Standards To Fall For The Rest Of Us

Infinite Quantitative Easing (QE3) Now Initiated; The Final Chapter Of America's Financial Blowout Has Begun

FedEx Says Economy Worsening, Cuts Outlook

The $150 Ammo Can PV Power Project.

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F.J. sent: Local Blackouts Reveal Global Risks. And in related news: Should You Worry About the Power Going Out Like in Revolution? This Congressman Thinks So.

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R.B.S. sent this: Cooking With A Cordless Power Drill

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'Fast and Furious' report slams 'disregard' for public safety as DOJ officials quit

"If you’re rich you get a bailout. If you’re poor you get a handout.
And if you’re middle class you get left out." - Keith Fitz-Gerald, as quoted at PeakProsperity.com

There are now just five days to release (and "Book Bomb Day") for Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse. Please wait until the release date--which is also our planned Book Bomb day--to order your copy. Not only will you get yours at a better price (probably around $11), you will also help boost the book's sales rank--hopefully into Amazon's Top 20 titles. Thanks for your patience.

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Today we present another entry for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The recent article on Do it Yourself Timber Harvesting prompted me to share my experience starting a homestead on our 200+ acre tree farm in East Texas. Almost two years ago I settled on a site back in the woods next to a dry run-off creek bed for my home. Our farm has been in the family for well over a century, and the forest area I picked sat untouched for 60 years.

One of my first investments was a 20” Stihl chain saw. Starting with little experience, about 10 chains, one sprocket and 2 replacement bars later I'm finally getting pretty good at felling trees. A 20” inch bar is a good size for using with a sawmill, as it can fell trees up to 2-3 ft in diameter. Having a smaller 12-16” backup saw will be a lifesaver the first few times your bar gets stuck in a tree. It's also much lighter and easier on your back for small jobs.

One thing to consider is the cost of chains. I get my 20” pro chains locally for about $15 each, but most places charge over $22. At this point, accessories and replacement parts have cost as much as the chainsaw, so plan accordingly.

I started clearing the building site for my Earthbag dwelling by cutting out the smaller trees first. It let me get used to the saw, practice proper cutting technique, and make small mistakes. I quickly realized that once you get over about 6” in diameter it's a different ball game. The trees go where they want to go. You likely won't be able to guide them down or push them off if you get your bar stuck. Looking back I can't stress enough the importance of proper safety gear, taking your time, and evaluating the situation. I of course, learned the hard way.

Mistakes Happen in a Split Second

Towards the end of the clearing phase the last couple dozen big trees lined the creek walls. I started working on a 2' diameter sweet gum with a hollow trunk. The plan was to drop it back away from the creek so it could be cut up and dragged out of the way for later milling. My uncle was on his small tractor helping with clean up.

My face cut wasn't level, so the wedge angled up slightly. When I connected the back cut the tree didn't fall. I pulled my saw out, the light wind shifted, and the tree fell the opposite way over the creek. Even worse, it fell over a new fence row on the back of the property. I quickly went back to the fence and looked at the two main 10” branches suspended a few feet in the air over the barbed wire fence. I stood next to the fence, reached over and cut the first branch. Then I stepped in about 2 feet and started cutting the second branch. This is where things went horribly wrong.

About ½ way through the second limb, I heard a loud crack and the next second to me, seemed like it lasted 10. I heard and felt a loud thud; I realized that feeling was something hitting me in the head; I heard every vertebrae from the top of my neck to the bottom of my shoulder blades crack one after another. I remember thinking, “Oh sh**, this is going to hurt,” and then I blacked out.

I woke up laying on my back, the chain saw gurgling on the other side of the fence, my safety glasses and ear protection were several feet behind me, my jeans ripped, my leg cut open on the barbed wire, and eventually I hear my uncle shouting, “. . . Sam are you okay?” I replied, “Yeah, give me a minute,” as I laid back attempting to breathe in severe pain. It's a good thing I woke up, because my uncle, who broke his neck and has trouble walking, had planned to use a cable to drag me out across the creek with his tractor!

What went wrong? Well, several things.

1. My face cut wasn't level which may have contributed to the tree falling the wrong way, and I didn't use a wedge to prevent this.
2. Having little experience with larger trees I underestimated the dangers involved in felling a large 120 ft tall, 4,000-6,000 pound tree. (Anything over 5” is potentially dangerous)
3. I was in a hurry to avoid repairing the fence.
4. I didn't evaluate the situation. The tree trunk was suspended 4 feet off the ground.
5. I created a very dangerous work area after cutting the first branch over the fence. When I stepped in to cut the second branch, the first was directly over my head. I should have cut the first branch again, getting it out of the way.
6. Again, I didn't evaluate the situation. Not only was the trunk off the ground, but the second branch was bound on the side against another tree. Once I cut half way through it, it snapped under the tremendous pressure and the trunk slammed to the ground, glancing the back of my head.

I was very lucky, mostly because the fence wasn't damaged, but also because I wasn't killed, paralyzed, or left with a broken neck. It took several months to recover, and I couldn't turn my head for a month. A few thumb torture sessions later with a neurosomatic massage therapist finally completed my recovery and today I'm back at 100%.

Take the Time to Learn Safety Procedures

After my injury we found a local part time logger to come in and remove the last 16 big trees on the site. He cut the trees and hauled them off for free, making money on the timber. I worked with him and learned a lot by just watching. If you have the chance to learn from an experienced logger, then do so.

Now I do things very differently. First, I wear a hard hat that includes ear protection and a face shield. I wear steel toed work boots most of the time after tearing into a pair of hiking boots while de-limbing a tree. I'll probably add the protective chaps one day, but my shift in mindset can't be stressed enough.

I take the time to clear all vines, brush, and limbs from my work area before cutting. I look at my escape routes. I walk around the base of each tree looking up the trunk to see which way it wants to fall. I watch my back cut closely to see if it's getting wider as I cut. I use plastic/wood wedges on bigger trees, attach a cable with a come-along, or use my backhoe when possible to push them over. When a tree trunk doesn't go right to the ground I take the time to walk around it again, see what's holding it up, and figure out a strategy to clear the other branches and take it down from there.. Since my accident, I've safely cut down over a dozen giant oaks that died in last years drought with no problems.

Chainsaw Care and Maintenance

I struggled with sharpening chains early on. There are great Youtube videos out there teaching the basics. The overview from Wranglerstar is very through.  I use a large C-clamp in the woods to hold the bar steady and tighten the chain first to prevent wobbling. A sharp chain will cut straighter/faster, it will run cooler, stretch out less and last longer. Watch the wood chips coming off the saw. When they go from little squares (chips) to more of a sawdust consistency, stop and sharpen. It may seem like a pain, but a sharp chain will save you a lot of headache in the long run.

If your chainsaw is cutting sideways it's because the chain is dull, the teeth were not sharpened evenly all the way around, or the rakers need to be filed down. Keeping your blade out of the dirt is also extremely important. Sand will stretch out your chain faster than anything. 

Does a Sawmill Make $ense?

While considering the resources available living on a tree farm, and the lumber required for my earthbag dwelling,  I decided to purchase a sawmill. The two manufacturers that have the best reputation are Wood-Mizer and TimberKing. A basic manual sawmill will run about $3,000 to $5,000 used. Adding hydraulics for log loading, turning, and cutter head movement bumps that up to about $10,000-$15,000. A computer controlled mill starts around $30,000, and the mechanically inclined can build one for about $2,000.

I decided on a used TimberKing 1220, their basic fully manual 15 horsepower band saw mill with a 28” capacity. I paid about $5,000 and it came with 2 cant hooks (a must), a $900 blade setter/sharpener kit (Strongly Recommended), a trailer kit, and a track extension that cuts lumber up to 24' in length.

Anyone living on a large plot of land with trees should seriously consider buying or building a sawmill. Every year we get dead trees from the summer drought, lightning strikes, and blow downs from the storms. For those of you on small plots in the country with lots of trees around a sawmill may still make sense. I've cut down large cedar trees for neighbors who wanted more grass growing for their cattle. I've even picked up logs cut by the power companies to prevent downed power lines. I've had requests to mill lumber from a small timber company and supply wood to a man who makes furniture.

I run the mill by myself 90% of the time using either the cant hooks or my backhoe with a set of skidding and lifting tongs to move logs around. Skidding tongs are for dragging logs, lifting tongs are heavier duty and rated for overhead lifting. Forks can be added to the backhoe as well, but it will make an already 20 ft machine even longer. A skid steer is the ideal companion for a sawmill, but I get by with my backhoe using the tongs. The downside is tongs only work on one log at a time, and moving logs or leftover slabs in bulk requires forks.

Most logging operations won't touch anything under 10 acres because of equipment moving/setup costs, and this leaves a lot of good timber available for small mill operators. Another option is to offer a portable sawmill service or have people bring logs they pay you to cut or give you a portion of the cut timber (usually up to half).

We used to pay someone to cut, stack, and burn our dead trees that fell into our hay pastures. Now they produce a very basic building material that in a TEOTWAWKI/natural disaster scenario, would prove invaluable. This is especially true for the lower end sawmill designed for manual operation.

Sawmill considerations in a Post Collapse Environment

With the higher end models, what happens if something in the hydraulic system breaks down and you can't fix it? Can it be run manually? How will you get a 1,200lb log 4' off the ground without the hydraulic loader? There's also the extra fuel consumption to consider, as some models have a separate engine to run the hydraulics.

I've spent several hundred dollars stocking extra parts, new blades, and doing repairs on my mill. The setup is fairly simple, and the engine is a Kohler Command Pro, commonly found on riding lawn mowers so that's easily sourced.

I've cut large 24 foot, 6”x6” and 9”x9” pine beams to support a living roof on my earthbag home. I've used the slabs (a waste product) to build a rustic heavy duty chicken coop. A sawmill really opens up a lot of creative possibilities for woodworking projects.  I also have a huge pile of slabs that I can sell for $50 on Craigslist or bury to create a hugelkulture bed. Hardwood slabs can be burned for Charcoal which is added to soil or used in filters. I scoop up the sawdust and use it in natural building and spread it in the gardens.

The Hardest Part of Running a Sawmill

Working big logs logs stands out as the toughest job on a manual mill. Two people using cant hooks makes this easier. A long heavy crow bar is also useful for moving/straightening logs. The longer and bigger the lumber your cutting, the heaver it gets, the more difficult it will be to move. The toughest job is lining up a big log to cut the maximum length your mill can handle. You only have an inch or two of clearance on the ends, and manually sliding a big log from the end is hard. Using a backhoe can/will snag on the frame and drag the whole setup off level footings, and you will be spending the next hour re-leveling. .

Cutting is simply setting the blade height with a crank and then turning a second crank to move it forward. A rough cut 2x12x20' pine is around 80lbs. if fairly green, and this must be moved and stickered (stacking with small stakes in between each board to let them evenly dry). So the bigger the log, the more likely help or tractors are needed.  Anything under 10 inches is hardly worth cutting up, and anything over 18 inches is much easier with help. 

What Tends to Go Wrong

Just like the chainsaw, having a sharp properly tensioned blade is important to avoid wavy cuts and other problems. New blades tend to stretch after their first use. Not observing the tension loss and running into dense knots has led to wavy boards several times. I've run a blade so dull it stopped in the middle of the log. It won't back out because the band will slip off the wheels, and getting it out is a real pain. The trick is to pay attention and change the band as soon as it starts to dull.

It's also tricky sometimes to square up the cut side against the log stops while locking it down for the next cut. It sometimes twists a bit and I end up with trapezoids instead of square boards. A bit of close observation and practice can minimize this. Putting the lumber through a planer or Turning the cant (squared up log) back and making a second pass can fix this.

I spend about 30 minutes setting and sharpening each blade, which can be done anywhere from 4-8 times depending on the steel's hardness. Two people running a mill all day will go though 3-5 blades which cost about $28 each with shipping.

Getting to a Finished Product

Fresh cut lumber will need to be stickered and dried out either naturally or in a Kiln. I dry lumber on cinder blocks to raise it off the ground, and cover it with large tarps from billboards. Used billboard tarps can be found at flea markets, trade days, or on craigslist for less than $50. They are heavy duty compared to hardware store tarps with string between PVC layers.

If you want to produce and sell dimensional lumber you will want to consider building a kiln. It's basically a shed with a heater. In an off grid situation, it should be possible to use a rocket mass heater to dry out lumber by burning the leftover slabs every few days to heat the shed.. It would certainly require a commitment over several weeks.

Beyond that you will want to consider a  robust thickness planer and shaper if you plan to make wood flooring or other finely finished wood products. All that's left is to figure out what to do with all the cheap lumber you'll have sitting around. I've built beautiful counter tops with 2”x17” planks from a 60 year old pine. I built a water tower, a working wishing well, a heavy natural oak bench and I'm learning how to do mortise and tenon joints, which works well with large rough cut lumber.

A Few Closing Thoughts

Putting a roof over a stationary mill is a good idea. A large span is ideal to move logs in, which for me means 30+ feet. Used chicken house trusses are ideal. They typically have a 40 foot span, room at the sides to stack lumber, and they can be purchased for about $100 per truss.

One final note, having worked with axes and hand saws, I can't overstate the importance of storing fuel to run your equipment. In my case this is a plastic 55 gal HDPE drum, treated with PRI-G fuel stabilizer annually (for up to 12 years storage), a hand operated transfer pump, and a bung wrench. It's important to seal the bungs tight so the lighter fractions in gas won't evaporate, fouling the fuel.

None of us know what the future holds, but the ability to produce usable lumber for your local community is an invaluable asset for you and your neighbors.  In a post collapse situation, it could prove to be an invaluable bartering resource.

James:
My wife and I have been "aware" that something isn't right since the whole Y2K scare back in 1999.  Sadly at the time, we had no idea of what "prepping" was or the first thing to do about how we felt.  I think we might have had a dozen gallons of water on our shelves.  Pretty sad, but we really had no clue.  I've always had this nagging feeling that things were really getting worse all the time, but it wasn't until I watched the "37 Things to Hoard" advertisement, that I finally decided I was going to find out how to take action.  I knew I believed what it said, and had always been hesitant to actually buy one of those things, but I thought "it's only $27 or whatever, what could it hurt?"  So I downloaded the books, and for the first time I had a little bit of an answer as to what I should be doing.  Of course from there, it has exponentially grown, because I thought if $10 a week was good, what could I do with $100 a week and so on.  We were already so far behind the game, I began to ask God for the time that we needed to prepare the way He wanted us to be prepared.  I read everything I could, especially SurvivalBlog and the book "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It", learned new skills quickly, and questioned whether or not prepping was biblical.  Our background as Christians has always made us look to the bible for our overall answers.  If it lines up with the Word of God, then it's right.  If it goes against the Word of God, then it is wrong.  With everything that isn't mentioned being up to us as to whether we will accept it or not.  Well I obviously came to the conclusion that yes, it was biblical.  So we moved forward and started formulating our short term goals, long term goals, and the "what would we do if we had all the money in the world right now" goals.

I always admired our grandparents and people that had gone through the Great Depression, and if you asked any of them what things were most important to have, wheat or flour would have been one of them.  So I asked myself what would I do with wheat or flour.  Oh yeah, I could make bread.  Then I remembered that I didn't know how to make bread.  So I set off on a quest to learn how to make my own bread.  It was liberating to know, that with this one small step I was on my way to being able to learn the necessary things I would need to be self-sufficient.  I began to realize, that unlike many of our rural brethren who have lived the life and learned things since they were young, there is a whole set of skills that is dying off with a great generation.  The internet has made learning much of those skills much easier, but you definitely have to practice those skills.  For example, we started gardening three years ago and have made many mistakes.  If we absolutely had to live off our own garden, I'm not sure we could do it yet.  I thank God that
He has given us a little bit of time to make mistakes before we don't have any choice.

All the things that have to do with prepping can be learned, from food storage to gardening to firearms to medical techniques and everything else.  But the real questions I have been struggling with, are much larger than those.  As a Christian, I know how it all ends as the bible tells it, and I have spent my whole life preparing my soul for eternity.  Always asking myself the question "would I be able to lay down my life for the Word of God"?  If someone had a gun to my head and said that I either denied God, or I would be shot, would I be able to stand up for God and die?  So for me, the end of this world is something I have been accustomed to thinking about.  That being said, I also know that 1 Tim. 5:8 says "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel".  And so, as a father, I must be prepping for my wife and children.  There are many Christians that say "God's in control, and I'm just going to trust in Him to take care of me".  Except that the five virgins that didn't prepare oil for their lamps weren't allowed in to the marriage (Matt. 25).  Point being, they were all virgins, but only half of them were prepared. 

I'm also somewhat of a history buff, noting that civilizations rise and fall throughout history, usually coinciding with that civilization rejecting God, as our nation has been doing for some time now.

So on to my larger questions.  Is this the end of the world as foretold by the bible?  Because if it is, then nothing material means anything.  Which is why I am teaching my family to prepare our souls first, then prepare for our bodies.  Still prepping, just in a different way, and still keeping in line with the Bible.  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you" (Matt 6:33).  Or is this just the cyclical rise and fall of a nation?  And if it is, then where would we go from here?  In WWII, the smart ones left everything they had, in the middle of night, to get out ahead of Nazi Germany.  They left family, friends, houses, belongings, and the only existence they ever knew because they felt led to leave.  The difference was, they had an "America" to run to.  Where in the world right now, would we run to?  Or are we left to stay here and fight?  Scary thought. 

We may be forced to do things we've never even considered before.
My wife and I definitely feel we are being led to prepare ourselves and our family as best we can with the resources God has given us.  But I go back and forth sometimes as to what direction to take.  Sometimes I feel we should be planning to ex-pat.  Sometimes I feel like moving to the redoubt, not knowing if there's enough time left to plan all of that.  Then sometimes I feel like we ought to stay put until we can just move a little farther out of town onto a little hobby farm.  I think and pray about these things all the time.  Choices, choices, choices.  And with every day getting worse in the world, and closer to the eventual meltdown of the economies of the world, including our own.  There is no manual for this situation.  There is no one size fits all answer that everyone should be following.  The events of this year have been a rising tide of evil, spreading all over the world.  We can argue the intents of those involved and who's to blame all we want, but it seems like the snowball effect is taking place and the decline of the world has taken on a life of its own.

Which is why I've come to these conclusions.  First, that I need to prepare my soul and always be mindful of where God is leading me.  When I do this, He is really in control, and I find myself in places I never thought possible.  Second, that all of the distractions our society has created for itself, be it television or video games or lifestyles or anything else, should take a back seat to the overall preparing for long term collapse of the way things are.  How many years did the media cry "the housing bubble is going to burst!" and everyone kept buying, selling, and flipping, until one day it actually burst.  Then a new reality came into being.  I have a feeling we're in for something much worse, and it will last a lot longer than the last time, which we still haven't recovered from yet!  And third, that whatever path I choose for my family, that I must continue to prepare, continue to build, until I have my answer from God.  If I and my family happen to die along the way, then someone will use it, and what a blessing it will be for them that find it.  And even in my death, I will have helped my fellow man.

I pray that the Lord Jesus will grant us that are aware and working, the time to do the things we need, and give us the forewarning and knowledge of where to go and what to do, and that He keep us safe on our individual journeys, and that through the fire that we must walk, that He will win more souls to Himself, until we all spend eternity with Him. - Anonymous

Dear Editor:
The monetization dubbed Quantitative Easing (QE) Round 3 ("QE3") is very confusing, and there is a lot of mystery attached to the confusion. To fully understand what just happened to us I find it useful to frame the scenario in this why, and this maybe a better way to understand it for some. When I put currency somewhere(make a purchase or invest it) it is currency that I worked to obtain and represents an exchange of my labor for a specific amount of currency. This currency is representative (if I negotiate the salary correctly) of the value of the work I preformed or the risks I took to obtain it. So when you or I put money somewhere it is a transfer of value that we obtained from our labor or risk from somewhere to somewhere.

When congress decides to put currency somewhere it can be from tax payers in the form of taxes or from IOUs (Treasury notes) that the treasury department sold to investors or to the Fed. When the Treasury sells these IOUs to investors, again the investors are taking the value of their labor or risk and trading it for the chance to to make a return in essence renting their currency to the Treasury for a fee. Taxes are the same way, it is part of the value of our labor that we are willing to trade for services, but the value came from our labor.

However, and this is where it gets interesting, when the Fed purchases these IOUs (Treasury Notes) from the Treasury, they have not traded any of their labor or risk for the currency that they are handing to the Treasury Department. So the big question is where does the value of that currency that the Fed gave the treasury come from? The answer is pretty simple it comes from you and me, it devalues the currency that we hold.

The same is true when the Fed is buying the mortgage backed securities, they are not trading anything that they have for these worthless investments, they are trading the value that we create through our labor and risk for these. The only reason that they are willing to trade the currency they create for these worthless investments is because they don't actually have to give up anything for them. They just take the value from us, and 99% of the population is completely naive to this fact, and this is the reason that I wanted to post this. People are being robbed, hard working people that have no idea that the value of the dollars they have toiled to earn are being funneled into investment banks that made really stupid decisions, and into Government spending that is way out of control. To me this is a hidden tax that is right under our nose, that we have absolutely no say in, and no control over.

That in itself is pretty bad in my opinion. And in the past the fed at least had the decency to put finite terms around it, all be it very large terms. So in the past when they said in essence that we are going to take X% of the value of your dollars and hand it to our cronies on wall street and the bumbling mass we call congress at least it was only part of the value. This time it is the whole enchilada, and in essence they are going to take all the value of the dollars that we hold and transfer it to their cronies on wall street, and the bumbling fools in congress on both sides of the isle. They may say that they will stop at some point but we all know that once the congress sees that they have more money to spend they will spend it in a way that requires it to keep coming. So the way I see it, the value of the dollar is on a downhill slide from here on out, and the reason I am choosing to get out of Dollars and into [tangibles which are] something from which the Fed cannot magically remove value. - Jacob R.

G.G. flagged this headline: 8,786,049: Yet Another Record for Americans Collecting Disability

Also from G.G.: Moody's: More California cities at risk of bankruptcy--Credit agency sees greater chance of municipal bankruptcies, bond defaults in California

Paypal suspends domestic transactions in Argentina

From reader B.B.: For Every $1 Added to the Economy, Obama Added More Than $3 in Debt

Peter S. sent: FedEx says economy is stalling, cuts outlook

Bond Wars: Chinese Advisor Calls For Japanese Bond Dump

Items from The Economatrix:

Ron Paul:  "Country Should Panic Over Fed's Decision"

QE3:  Helicopter Ben Bernanke Unleashes An All-out Attack On The US Dollar

Reader V.H. wrote: "I couldn't help but notice that the Propper [brand] A-TACs camouflage pattern uses soft edges and colors that are very similar to the rebels' camo used on the planet Endor, from [the second-produced film in the] Star Wars [movie series]. Is this one of those "life imitates art" situations, or vice versa? As I recall, the German Army experimented with soft-edged patterns during WWII, and some of those were quite effective.

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A clever new product that I first heard about nearly a year ago will soon be available to the public: The Survival Still™. I've been told that pre-orders placed now should ship before Christmas.

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A piece by Survival Mom, over at Lew Rockwell's site: Six Essential Attributes of Successful Survivalists. (Thanks to F.J. for the link.)

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Great news! Mountain House has suspended their minimum advertised price (MAP) restriction on their freeze dried strawberries. I've heard that for a short time, Ready Made Resources is selling them at 35% off and free shipping.  Because of this deep discount, their usual silver dimes bonus does not apply. A six-can case of#10 cans of freeze dried strawberries is normally $179.95, but it is just now $116.95.

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Mark. suggested an inexpensive 555 IC-based controller for solar, wind power, or micro-hydro battery charging needs.

"It is difficult to tell what will happen. I happen to believe that eventually we will have a systemic crisis and everything will collapse. But the question is really between here and then. Will everything collapse with Dow Jones 20,000 or 50,000 or 10 million? Mr. Bernanke is a money printer and, believe me, if Mr. Romney wins the election the next Fed chairman will also be a money printer. And so it will go on. The Europeans will print money. The Chinese will print money. Everybody will print money and the purchasing power of paper money will go down. And I don't like bonds. I don't particularly like equities, but I think equities are a better space to be in than bonds." - Marc Faber

Arrrgh! Today, September 19th, be ye Talk Like a Pirate Day, me buckos! Sorry, but that's all the Pirate Parley that you'll get from me. But if you can't get enough of it, you can automagically translate any of the past or present SurvivalBlog posts into Pirate Talk, using this web page. For example, here is our Retreat Areas Static Page, in Piratese.

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Now just six days to release of my third novel, Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse. Please wait until its release date (September 25th)--which is also our planned Book Bomb day-- to place your order. Thanks.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

I make charcoal to sell at the local farmers market. I'm a farmer and prepper. I use two steel drums, retort method, which produces high quality charcoal.

Charcoal has many uses. It used for cooking and heat without flames, water filtration, making pyrotechnics and has some medicinal uses. This is hot, hard work but simple to do. With a little imagination all components can be changed or modified as long as age-old principles are followed. I prefer using red oak. It comes out naturally pitted so there is no need for enhancements for water filtration.

Concept: Small pieces of quality hardwood are placed in a small steel drum. The small drum is placed into a larger steel drum. Scrap wood is then stacked in the gap between the two and burned. This “cooks” the quality wood into charcoal without allowing it to be consumed by oxygen.

Primary Components:

Furnace – 55 gallon steel drum with removable lid. Called an “Open Head”.
The lid is held on with a quick lever closure ring (preferable) or the nut and bolt closure ring.

Retort – 15 gallon steel drum with removable lid. The crimp type lid is most common.

Both can be purchased new from and oil distributor or obtained used from trucking companies or large farms etc. First burn out any residual contents of used drums with an open fire.

Secondary Components:

3 fire bricks or spacers, used to raise small drum off the bottom of the large drum.

Wood: 2 types

Any quality hardwood makes great charcoal. I prefer red oak. It comes out very pitted with large cracks. It is easy to light and produces a very even burn when used for cooking. Great for water filtration without enhancements. For pyrotechnics use muscadine or grape vine.

Perfect scenario – Cut red oak logs and allow it to dry for nine months or so. For making a batch cut pieces, 5 inches long, off the end of logs. Quarter it, and split it into 1.5 inch thick bricks. Use a hand axe and cut the bricks into pieces 1.5 inches x 1.5 inches x 5 inches or smaller. If the pieces are larger then it just adds unnecessary cooking time.

Tip on tree selection – Pick a red oak inside a stand of timber that grew at least 100 yards from any open area among older trees. It would have grown straight, tall and fast, with very few knots, and hence great for splitting! You don’t want a tree that grew near the edge of a field. It would have had lots of limbs in its first 25 years, lots of knots, very hard to split.

Scrap wood, hardwoods produce a steady even heat. Small amounts of scrap pine lumber produces quick heat, helps regulate cooking process. All are split small enough to go in between the sides of the barrels and about 2 feet long.

Note: Pictures of my furnace and retort drum set-up can be found as attachments to my posts at the Eat The Weeds Forum.


Construction

A. Furnace Drum

1. Removable Lid: it is used to help regulate air flow during the cook. Raise with wood or rebar just a little while cooking. Most have 2" x ¾" Head Fitting Plug, also helpful with air control. You can also mount a piece of flue pipe with damper in the center of the lid if you want to be creative.

2. Cut vent openings along bottom edge of 55 gallon drum. Cut 3 vents, 3 inches (v) X 8 inches horizontally, evenly spaced around circumference. Leave one end [of each vent tab] attached so they can be partially closed to control air flow. After the burn, cover them with dirt to seal off air.

B. Retort Drum

1. The small drum bottom must be vented. The purpose is to allow gas to escape from the oak while it is being cooked. These gases also burn outside the small drum during the process. This reduces the amount of scrap wood used. These are the same gases used to run a gasifier or woodgas engine. A full small drum will weigh about 55lbs and produces about 18 lbs of charcoal.

2. In the bottom of the small drum drill 1/4 inch diameter holes. Drill about 30 holes
 
Note: I'm sure at some point early in the process, there is a quick flash burn in the small drum. Oxygen is gone soon, no ash. Gases don't burn until they leave the small drum.
 
At night you can see 30 blue jets of flame from bottom of small drum. Waste of scrap wood cooking at night. did it once just to see.
 
Ash from scrap wood starts to clog big barrel vents. pushing it back keeps air flow going straight up (chimney effect) away from bottom of small drum. I rarely see any ash in small drum, then just a little on few pieces in bottom.
 

Assembly

1. Put the fire bricks in the bottom of the big drum to support the small drum. This allows space for out gassing. It also prevents the ground from wicking heat from the small drum.

2. When the small drum is loaded and the lid is clamped set it on the fire bricks.

3. Drop kindling down the sides of the small drum and then scrap wood up and over the top.

4. Stuff paper and tinder into the large drum vents and fire it up.



Cooking a Batch

Moisture is always your enemy!

The goal is to hold 700 plus degrees in the small drum for at least 1.5 hours assuming that the small drum is full and the moisture content is low. If the moisture content is high then it will add hours to the cooking time.

Only cook in hot weather, 90 plus degrees and sunny. If the temp is around 70 you will use a lot more scrap to cook the same batch, more work and time for the same return.

When the batch is done put the lid on the large drum and tighten the band. Close the bottom vents on the large drum and cover them with dirt to stop all air flow.

Tip: Don’t allow the scrap to burn out naturally. When you decide the charcoal is done then seal the Furnace. The burning scrap will use up remaining oxygen and prevent charcoal loss.

Before ignition, be sure to fill the small drum to the top and then shake it thoroughly. You'll then be able to add several more pounds of oak. Important - you still have to get the lid clamped on tight--freely without forcing.
 
There will be very little space for air. When the flash burn occurs it will be rapid. When gas starts escaping from the oak there is no oxygen for it to burn until it exits the vents in the bottom.
 
Also folks worry about cooking long enough. I tell them, "you will only under-cook one time." When you go out the next morning and find your mistake, you'll have to clean out the barrels, prep all the scrap, and re-cook the same batch. You wont make that mistake again!
 
Leave the air tight Furnace to cool over night. If you expose the charcoal to oxygen while it is still hot it will ignite and burn up all your work. The next day when the Furnace is completely cool remove the small drum. It should weigh about 20 lbs, if it feels a lot heavier then you did not get a complete conversion.

Pour the contents onto a framed 1/4-inch mesh screen to filter the tiny pieces and dust. Next bag up your charcoal. You should have 18 lbs of high quality natural charcoal.

Tips on Getting it Right:

You have to learn to "read the smoke." There is an art to this!

The first smoke will be heavy and white. This is moisture from the scrap wood and will continue for a while. Next the smoke will almost disappear. A short time later the white smoke will reappear but not so heavy as before. This is the moisture from the oak in the small drum.

This is the most important part of reading the smoke. The amount of white smoke from the small drum tells you how long to burn scrap. Only experience can teach you!

There is a small amount of loss as ash, maybe 1 to 2% at the bottom of the small barrel. Although crude this is a very efficient process for producing high quality organic charcoal.

Note that this charcoal-making process can be scaled down. The aforementioned procedure also works with a 5 gallon metal bucket and a 1 gallon metal paint can. Use you imagination, I’ve seen a pottery kiln used with several 1 gallon metal paint cans.

Activated charcoal is nothing but natural charcoal treated with liquid Calcium Chloride or Zinc Chloride for 12 plus hours. It becomes very pitted. Red oak comes out naturally pitted. (Not as good as activated but close.)

Warning: Use only natural unprocessed/untreated wood for charcoal. Things like pallets have been treated or had a host of chemicals and heavy metals spilled on them that are not consumed by fire.

You’ll get only about 15 to 20 batches out of a set of barrels, as they will deteriorate with high heat over time.

Those that are concerned with TEOTWAWKI scenarios, as we are, can find great benefit in looking to history for meaningful lessons on what to expect and how to plan and prepare. In many of these circles we often here of and reference the heroic exploits of bands of citizen warriors throughout history.

Rogers Rangers, the Minute Men of New England, The Green Mountain Boys of Vermont and other Revolutionary War militia, The guerilla fighting Comanche and Cheyenne warriors of North America,  and of course the various books, movies and television shows that constitute our survivalist-militia paradigm. I wish to add another relevant and realistic event and militia group to our lexicon and highlight a bit of recent history that took place just about 3,000 miles from North America. This true and well-documented period of time and events can be mined by our communities for numerous insights into preparedness.

The tiny African nation of Sierra Leone first won their independence from the British Empire in 1961. This was a joyous time for Sierra Leonians. Sierra Leone, a beautiful nation on the West African Coast, with beaches to make many vacationers jealous, became a vacation spot for Europeans and Africans on holiday.  The country was awash with valuable minerals, metals, and diamonds which brought the financial interests of global powers.  If you were a member of the elite ruling class and politically connected then times were good and money flowed; allowing you an increasingly comfortable lifestyle. But by the 1970s corruption was entrenched. Wikipedia summarized:

“...politics in the country was increasingly characterized by corruption, mismanagement, and electoral violence that led to a weak civil society, the collapse of the education system..."

In 1968, [Siaka Stevens,] a popular leader rose to power and would leave office 17 years later with the result of turning what was once a constitutional democracy into a one party state.
The Prime Minister’s 17 year term of office is described by Wikipedia as:

 “...the 17 year plague of locusts” saw the destruction and perversion of every state institution. Parliament was undermined, judges were bribed, and the treasury was bankrupted to finance pet projects that supported insiders.”

He stepped down in 1985 leaving a short list of ineffective leadership behind him. Wikipedia characterizes the social ruin that the country now found itself in only 30 years after its independence, with the following…

"With the state unable to pay its civil servants, those desperate enough ransacked and looted government offices and property. Even in Freetown (the capitol city), important commodities like gasoline were scarce. But the government hit rock bottom when it could no longer pay schoolteachers and the education system collapsed. Since only wealthy families could afford to pay private tutors, the bulk of Sierra Leone’s youth during the late 1980s roamed the streets aimlessly. As infrastructure and public ethics deteriorated in tandem, much of Sierra Leone’s professional class fled the country. By 1991, Sierra Leone was ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world, even though it benefited from ample natural resources including diamonds, gold, bauxite, rutile ([the] main ingredient in titanium), iron ore, fish, coffee, and cocoa."

This became the foundation for the decade long civil war that would lay waste to the country and forever change its people.

A rebel army named the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) formed and funded by the criminal government of neighboring Liberia, under convicted war criminal Charles Taylor, grew and quickly took over many areas of the country. This rebel movement was a result of the intense interest in the diamond mines within Sierra Leone and Liberia, and also the large number of disaffected youth that were easily swayed by riches, power, and promise of adventure. The Government of Sierra Leone and its army were either unable or unwilling to effectively challenge the well-armed and funded rebel army. The RUF  tormented the cities and countryside forcing children to become soldiers, getting them hooked on hard drugs, and encouraging them to engage in unspeakable behavior aimed at terrorizing the civilians into subservience. The RUF would quickly become known for rape, murder, torture, burning, looting, and a terror previously unknown in the region.

Sierra Leone, like much of Africa consists of both dense cities and rural countryside.  People fled the cities for their ancestral  homes still occupied by family in their rural villages. Many of these families can trace their family histories in these villages back hundreds of years. This is their native land. These were agrarian villages where people were mostly farmers. It was West African slaves from these areas that would make the American colony and future state of Georgia’s largest export and cash crop rice, grown in the lowlands of the coast similar to their homeland. The average home was armed with only farming tools and instruments.

Making a living from the land for generations, extended families controlled large fields and swathes of land to graze their animals and grow food. They lived in tight ethnic communities where everyone knew everyone. These were not people that were concerned with national politics. They made little to no money from the diamonds, gold, minerals, and everything else that drove the international greed for the resources of their country. These were extended families living a peaceful existence in their ancestral land, practicing and maintaining their culture and history. These communities had strong men that were willing and qualified warriors but these men were the first targets of violence, and they were not prepared or trained for organized military threats on their communities.

Imagine the ease that a light rebel army would experience when pulling up to a sleepy farming village, rounding up the able-bodied men for torture or execution, the male children for conscription, and the women and girls for slaves or throw-away sex toys. Rural police stations were no match for the rebels and would flee, be killed, or join them. Many in these villages became entertainment for depraved rebels mad with drug use and traumatized by their own situations. Old men and women were chopped down with machetes or burned to death with kerosene or car tires. Babies’ heads were bashed in by gun butts or by soldiers' boots. Sometimes the child’s own parents were forced to bludgeon them to death at the gunpoint of crazed men and boys in soldier uniforms. Pretty girls became a commodity traded by soldiers. People were shot indiscriminately in the street and in their homes.  Houses, farms and fields were burned.  The chopping off of limbs became an all too often exercise and horrific scene during such attacks. The movie Blood Diamond starring Leonardo Dicaprio used the backdrop of this war to tell its story and illustrated many of these documented atrocities. [JWR Adds: Blood Diamond provided some valuable insights into the depravity of man under the circumstances of civil war. The history of the 20th Century is replete with similar examples, worldwide. (West Africa was not unique!) It was a surprisingly good film, despite Dicaprio's pitiful attempt at mimicking a Rhodesian accent.]

Resourceful and physically able people fled to “the bush”, their term for the thick untamed jungle wilderness. Their communities destroyed, families dead or dispersed. Many people had to rely on their wilderness survival skills or risk being caught in public areas looking for food and shelter. They had to learn to evade others in the bush that may alert others to their presence. One man on foot in the wilderness is no match for a mobile light army. He would easily be found, caught, and become a victim. A family would be even easier to hunt and track down.
Rebel armies had taken control of many areas and where they did not control, the government armies were often no better. They brutally purged villages looking for rebels and often accused the innocent and made them examples to others. They helped themselves to food, supplies, and women. They were feared by all and were rumored to be soldiers by day and rebels by night, earning them the name “sobels”. There was no one on the side of the regular people. These armies fought each other and used the communities as their battlegrounds. Civilians were collateral damage and/or simply resources to be taken, killed or abused by either side. Roadways were controlled by these forces so any resources such as food, medicine, or ammunition, traveling along them was subject to seizure by the armies. The best homes and structures were taken and used by rebels or government armies for cover, command centers, flophouses, storage, barracks, or other military needs.

This is the extreme of our human experience on Earth, my friends. I can’t imagine a more terrifying experience. It does not matter how bad-ass one man is, he could either evade these forces or become another casualty. Period.  Where was the humanity, you ask? How could they all behave this way, you say? Well how could the Germans behave as they did under the Nazi regime? Or Cambodians under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge?  The ethnic cleansing by Serbs under Slobodan Milosovic? These things happen. When people are pushed by extreme socioeconomic forces they are capable of unspeakable cruelty. In the midst of this turmoil and unimaginable violence a resistance movement grew in the south. A group called the Kamajors.

Wikipedia summarizes: "The Kamajors are a group of traditional hunters from the Mende ethnic group in the south and east of Sierra Leone (mostly from the Bo district)."

These hunters came from a long line of traditional tribal-warriors. In Africa each ethnic group is typically associated with a secret society. These secret societies teach the younger generations survival skills, cultural history, and prepare them for being an adult in their society. For the boys this would often include warrior training, hunting and trapping skills, wilderness survival and so on. These Kamajors came from this tradition. They banded together early on and protected their immediate communities. They had weapons that they had used for hunting along with warrior training and preparation. They had an intimate knowledge of the land and its people. And they had the not just the will to fight their aggressors but the means and know how. This was a modern day tribal militia.

The Kamajors  successfully repelled both the RUF/rebel army and the government army over and over again when they would approach their protected regions. They reacted swiftly to enemy threats in their patrolled areas and gained a reputation for being fearsome fighters and protectors of their communities.  Rebels and the government army, like any marauding groups, will choose the path of least resistance and focus on soft targets. They were reluctant to engage the Kamajor fighters, because a dust up with the Kamajors was certain to end in casualties and depleted resources. They fought fiercely for maintainable ground and quickly retreated and regrouped when outnumbered or overwhelmed.  They were light quick and effective. Youth from all over the affected parts of the country sought out the Kamajors for protection, and many joined their ranks, multiplying their strength. They suffered casualties and we can be sure they suffered their own defeats, but they remained the only alternative and safe haven for thousands.

These were hunters and family men that joined together to protect their families and communities. They were unflinching in their mission and quickly earned names for themselves as the only ones with the strength and knowledge to protect themselves and others from the new realities of their world. The Kamajors answered to their traditional tribal leadership who were often seasoned veteran elders, which was a true government of and by the people. Rebels and soldiers alike intensely feared these Kamajors and African superstition strengthened those fears. Claims spread of the Kamajors participating in sacred rites that would make them bulletproof. It was said that sexual abstinence made them fierce in battle. Stories of their being invisible and being protected by magic persist to this day. The Kamajors were so successful that when international will was finally strong enough to bring peace to the country the Kamajors were enlisted by international peacekeeping forces  to successfully return peace to the country with the help of the UN, an army made from a number of West African countries (ECOMOG) and private mercenary groups.

The war lasted more than ten years and ended in 2002. It is only now, ten years after the wars end that the economy of the country is picking up, experiencing international investment, and people are finally able to start putting the war behind them. Regular electricity to the nations capital, Freetown, and other major cities, was restored in 2007 due to international assistance and the construction of new hydroelectric facilities. Markets are booming and people have returned to the cities twofold. The nations’ future is bright and the worst is behind them but for a long time their future was in doubt.

So after a roughly twenty year period of economic and social decline, we have what was basically a twenty year period where a country was in a total state of war, economic collapse, depression and dysfunction. A messy war with no boundaries or clear enemy, caused by outside forces, political corruption and mismanagement. Caught in the middle were a peaceful people, largely of rural background, forced to find a way to survive a situation that quickly became desperate and deadly. Their ancestral farms and homesteads were attacked and burned. Local currency became worthless. Food was scarce. Resources were taken and consumed by the armies leaving little to nothing for civilians. Civilians became the targets of the new power structure, controlled by the ruthless and lawless armies.

A grassroots fighting force of hunters and family men rose as the only effective resistance force. They were effective because through their hunter/warrior culture and vigilance they were more prepared than others to defend their communities and way of life. These irregulars were the Minutemen of their time. If they had not been trained and organized ahead of time they would have been decimated early on and would not have had the strength to raise a defense later on. The Kamajor fighters were prepared from the beginning and when the SHTF they did what they were prepared to do without hesitance.

Many lessons can be drawn from this history, but a few themes are easy to take away here.  It was their community and culture that created the success of the Kamajors. They had a hunter/warrior culture that could be easily compared to our survivalist/prepper culture today. They also maintained a community within this culture that not only rallied when threatened, but had enough training to be organized when the SHTF to not lose too much ground or strength.

Could they have foreseen the situation that they found themselves in? Perhaps. Could they have done much to prevent it? Probably not. This is a relatively basic SHTF threat. It does not require asteroids, or volcanoes, or even Al Qaeda. Defense against lawless but organized armed personnel; that is what all preppers and survivalists should strongly consider when preparing for SHTF/TEOTWAWKI.

One armed man can’t effectively respond to such a threat of course, yet it is one of the most predictable and relatively common of social upheaval threats and one of the most terrifying. It is basically a home invasion on a regional scale. Some people behave as if these types of events or scenarios are ancient history, or unrealistic. Hurricane Katrina highlights this possible threat, so does the constant narcotics traffic violence in the southwest, the Rodney King Riots in Los Angeles, or even Pine Ridge in the 1970s. But for continued insight, moral support and inspiration we only have to look across the Atlantic to a little over 10 years ago when a resourceful group of hard-nosed warriors banded together to protect all that they knew. These were the Kamajors of Sierra Leone.

About the Author: CYA is the pen name of a first generation American on his father's side, and a U.S. combat veteran. His father was born in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone in 1951, and his mothers’ family can be traced to colonial New England.

Dear JWR;
When visiting relatives in Ohio Amish country, we always stop by two or three Amish "bent & dent" stores.  These stores purchase truckloads of goods that have just expired, are about to expire or are in some other way slightly flawed at very, very, very low prices, and sell them at very, very low prices.  Some examples:  Starbucks coffee in sealed, non-expired bags for $2.50 (used to be 75 cents, the owners have been raising the prices over time), normally $12.50 at the grocer.  Swiss Toblerone chocolate bars, normally $4 for 50 cents.  Feminine hygiene products at 20% of the normal price, presumably no expiration date.  Claritin allergy pills at 10 cents on the dollar, among other non-prescription items.  Indian cooking sauce (Patak's), normally $4.50 a bottle for less than 50 cents per bottle, must not be very popular out in the country.  

There are lots of food items. We once found real San Marzano tomatoes, normally $5/can, for 75 cents per can.  Spices tend to be about 15 to 20 cents on the dollar compared to retail.  Very wide variety of other canned goods and cereals, including expensive yuppie food such as Kashi cereals at about 10 cents on the dollar.  Usually lots of olive oil & canned sauces.  Once in a while one of the cans is bad, the nose knows.  Great deals for those on a budget.  

Also:  We found canning jars (quart, pint & jam) at Big Lots this weekend for about $7 - $8 per dozen, with lids at $1.20 per dozen.  We got an additional 20% off due to a "frequent buyers" discount. - John M.

100 million credit card accounts are gone since 2008 – Credit card balances decline by 22 percent since their 2008 peak.

R.C. sent this: Nevada man dies with $200 in bank, $7M in gold hidden inside home. I thought Nevada was the Silver State... But of course $7 million in silver would be too bulky.

R.B.S. pointed me to a fairly well-balanced British documentary: The Great Euro Crash - 2012. (If you jump 25 minutes forward, you'll see described the sneaky role that derivatives played in this debacle.)

Items from The Economatrix:

America Is Facing A Lost Generation:  Jim Rogers

Breaking:  Historic Silver Panic In Progress, Says GATA Sources

Get Ready For An Epic Fiat Currency Avalanche

QE Infinity:  Fed Buying More Toxic Assets From Banks Will NOT Help Main Street

Reader C.B. suggested this product for anyone who considers their iPhone indispensable: AQUA TEK S for iPhone 4/4: A rugged case that provides extra battery life and water resistance.

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The Western Pit: Homestead Vehicle Lift (for underbody work)

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SurvivalBlog's Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson has some commentary at his publisher's web site about firearms realism, Hollywood, and "loopholes": Getting Guns Right

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F.G. sent this from Nanny Looney State Britannia: Mentally ill to be allowed to become MPs, serve on juries and be company directors. JWR's Comment: This sounds like a transition to The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether, to me. <Sarcasm on> I suspect that next they'll ban "job discrimination" against rhinotillexomaniacs, child molesters, necrophiles, pyromaniacs, autophagics, and shepherds who "marry" their ewes. These, after all, are nothing more than lifestyle choices. Who are we to judge? <Sarcasm off> Beware. America is not far behind!

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Timothy R. sent: How to avoid getting trapped in FEMA camps

"It was a good plan... up 'til now." - Zoe Saldana as Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, 2003. (Screenplay by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert.)

September 18th is Independence Day in Chile. On this day in 1810, Chile declared independence from España.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

“Do you think you could survive on your own in the Everglades if you had to?”

The question rang in my mind as I thought about the implications, logistics and hardship that would be involved. I’m an ecologist specializing in Reptiles and Amphibians – which basically means I spend a ton of time up to my waist in swamp water, catching snakes, alligators and other creeping things all the while being assailed by endless hoards of mosquitoes and deer flies. One tends to learn a few things under these conditions, about these animals and about survival where they live.

Now what on earth does trudging through swamps in search of Reptiles and Amphibians have to do with survival when things go awry? Being prepared for any circumstance is most certainly beneficial, but what happens when disaster strikes away from home - Perhaps at a friend’s house, on vacation, or on the road? Not everyone can be completely prepared with sufficient food, water and armed to the teeth during such times, and sometimes even preparations can fail – Those prepared to hunt big game and fish may find heavy competition from others similarly hoping for a meal. Even in your own homestead corn, grains and other crops can be plagued by the same forces that have assailed them for millennia: drought, disease, plague and theft. When every other source of food is depleted, look to the ground: look to the things that creep.

Reptiles and Amphibians are collectively called “herpetofauna,” or “herps” for short – meaning “creeping things.” These animals are actually extremely abundant in many areas and can provide a ready and stable food source especially if you’re forced to remain perpetually on the move (or on the run, for that matter.) In fact, a given habitat can actually support a lot more biomass herpetofauna than it could mammals or birds (the stuff most of us think of when hunting.) Herps, you see, are cold-blooded (or a better word is ectothermic,) meaning they do not generate their own heat but receive it from the environment. Why does that matter? Well, as many of us are aware heating and cooling houses can be extremely costly in terms of energy; and the same is true of animal life as well: Deer, dogs, humans, ducks and all the other furred and feathered animals spend a lot of their food/energy on maintaining their body heat. Reptiles and Amphibians don’t do this, which means more energy to go around; which means more Reptiles and Amphibians. This is part of the reason why we can have millions of alligators and tens of thousands of pythons in my home state of Florida, but far fewer Panthers, Black Bear, etc.

Before we delve into the “how to” of it, it should be important to note that some species and some areas are protected, and one shouldn’t resort to reptiles and amphibians as a food source unless it is necessary for your survival. Practice, of course, is essential with any survival skill so recreationally looking for herps (or “herping”) without the killing/eating angle is suggested this side of TEOTWAWKI. It’s an enjoyable pastime with vital applications. This is, however, not a guide on herping but on survival with herps as the vessel.

Your first objective when faced with the need for food is to find a body of water: ponds, wetlands or any other standing or slow moving water will do. Such bodies of water, even if they are temporary and completely lacking in fish, are a permanent fount of sustenance. This is because, on the whole, aquatic environments are much more productive than terrestrial (land) habitats. More productivity translates to more wildlife, which translates to more food available - And unlike deer, hogs or many other game species this wildlife can be readily apprehended with a little skill and no equipment (though a flashlight can’t hurt.)

Flashlights, of course, should be a part of any sane person’s bag o’ tricks: if you don’t carry one on your person, it is advisable to at least keep one in each vehicle you own. My own preference is for a flashlight that takes a large number of readily available batteries (AAs are the best), and has extremely dim (for extended use) and extremely bright (for tactical and hunting use) settings. My suggestion is for the Fenix TK45 or Fenix TK41, which both run on 8 AA cells and can last for months of sparse nightly use on low, and can make the sun envious on their highest setting.

The most abundant food source you’ll find in and around most bodies of water are frogs. Of course it is no secret, especially in the southeast, that frogs can be a delicacy – the best way to find them is to walk around the margins of your selected body water and be ready to pounce. Most frogs will quickly jump into the water before you see them, but this does not make them impossible to catch: a little practice will go a long way. There are also many species, such as tree frogs, that will remain perched among lakeside vegetation and motionless – relying on camouflage rather than speed.

Without doubt, if a flashlight is available or on nights with bright full moons, warm evenings can be the best time to find frogs out and active. In the absence of flashlights, many frogs are also visible during the daytime. Either way, move slow and keep your eyes peeled. Perhaps it is counterintuitive, but when the rain starts falling this is often the best time to get out and get looking, resisting the urge to hunker down and wait for inclement weather to pass. Rain, even on a chilly night, is often a cue for all sorts of frogs and toads to wake up and start calling and breeding, and breeding frogs can prove for easy targets, as they are understandably distracted. Learn the calls of the biggest, meatiest frogs in your area (In much of the country that will be the “jug-o-rum” call of the Bullfrog) and target them on such rainy nights.

It should be noted though that some species of frog possess toxins in their skin – but most are harmless to humans. As with toxic plants, sampling a little bit of any frog species before partaking of a full meal is suggested, watching out for symptoms such as upset stomach. Oftentimes a simple lick after extended handling will result in a foul taste, revealing a given frog’s toxicity. Once again, Bullfrogs are the most widespread and largest of frogs likely to be encountered in the U.S., these are not in the least toxic. In all but the most desperate of situations, it is advisable to eat only the limbs off any frog, more for palatability concerns rather than health concerns. Frogs can make for easy preservation as well, their porous skin making drying a small task on a sunny day.

The meatiest of reptilian meals, however, are certainly turtles. Turtles can be found in every state in the continental United States and are easy to catch if found in wetlands or shallow ponds. During the midday sun, they can be found scooting through the shallows. Many creeks across the northeastern U.S. also have them, and one large snapping turtle can easily cure hunger pangs for a few days. Turtles are largely harmless – and this includes even the “dreaded” snapping turtle, which is completely unable to bite if handled properly with one hand on the shell behind the neck and one at the base of the tail; but realistically for eating purposes one would not be handling a live one.  Springtime will also bring turtles to nearby high ground for nesting. Nests can be easily found by looking in such areas around wetlands and finding areas of recently disturbed ground, excavating and finding the tasty morsels – hopefully before the raccoons do.

Then, of course, there are the snakes. First, it’s worth to say that if you’re afraid of snakes you needn’t be. I know; such fears are often primal and difficult to overcome – I find however, that knowledge of a subject (or faunal group, in this case) typically dispels any fear of it. Snakes are beneficial as pest control as well as food for a variety of animals: maybe even you someday. You may laugh at such a thought, but there was once a detestable invertebrate that was abundant and so loathed that it was fed to prisoners in New England: nowadays it costs in the double-digits per pound. I’m speaking of the Maine Lobster of course. All this to say that stranger things have happened, regardless, in the interest of your own survival researching the snakes in your area and their preferred habitats is an indispensable tool.  

Venomous snakes are, of course, a concern. The venomous snakes should be the first snakes in your area to learn: it is often best to do this by finding them in the field under the watchful eye of an experienced snake hunter (believe it or not there are a lot of them) until you develop “the eye” for differentiating snake species. Even venomous snakes will not try to attack you under normal circumstances. I purposely seek out snakes on a near-daily basis and have only been pursued by one of the thousands of snakes I’ve come across. Most will attempt to escape, or they will be defensive. By defensive I mean they will bite if harassed, but will not pursue if you keep a safe distance. In a survival situation any venomous snake can be safely dispatched from a distance by any number of primitive tools: sticks, thrown rocks, machetes, et cetera. I should state once again that I am strongly against killing snakes except in a survival situation: many species of snake are in danger of extinction because of needless killing by humans.

There are a few ways I typically go about finding snakes. The first method, called road cruising, will be largely impractical should gasoline be in short supply, so I’ll skip over this method in favor of the latter two. Snakes and other tasty morsels will often take cover under discarded tin and boards in the woods, in fields and other areas with good habitat. “Flipping,” as it’s called, is best suited for cool times of year (55-75 degrees is ideal) and can be extremely productive especially in the Midwest, western U.S. and parts of the southeast, where the remnants of an abandoned building can potentially yield many individuals. I find that the longer a specific piece of debris (often called “A/C” or Artificial Cover) remains in an area, the more productive it becomes and vegetation underneath dies and food sources such as mice and rats move in. Also of interest for locating snakes would be to simply mimic the methods described for frogs and hike around wetlands for them in the evening; as many aquatic snakes can be seen while hunting fish or frogs this way. [JWR Adds: Based upon my amateur field herpetology experience in my teenage years, I can vouch: You can easily make artificial covers with scrap plywood, OSB, composition house siding, or roofing sheet metal, to form a "trap line", of sorts. You simply attach (with screws or nails) some random length scrap 2x4s to the bottom of the sheeting scraps (of any shape from roughly 2 feet to 4 feet square.) In open fileds they should be positioned about 200 feet apart. The scrap 2x4s elevate the board just enough to be inviting to large snakes. Just be very careful of poisonous snakes or arachnids when you do your flipping!]

Hopefully, when things go south fast we’ll all be tucked away in our homes, compounds or bunkers, rifle firmly in hand with a year’s worth of food at our back – but the future is without doubt unpredictable and our own situations are often impacted by the choices (poor or otherwise) of others. Put simply: none of us are God and any of us could potentially get caught with our pants down. The best route is to have confidence and to have the varied skill set to back up that confidence. When building this skill set, be sure not to forget the things that creep.

Based on some of the latest articles I have read, I wonder if there is a misunderstanding of prepping or the Preppers themselves. Everyone has their own reasons for prepping, what they consider prepping, prepping for or at what level they can prepare. Not everyone can afford prepping to the levels of others, not everyone has the skill sets as others or can go out and find that perfect piece of property to call their retreat or bug out location (BOL.)

For the grannies who buy a few supplies or have found a like-minded social group of preppers where they meet once a month or so and talk about things they have read or heard about, good for them. For all we  know, for that granny, this may be her (or his if a grampy) only form of social networking and for them survival is getting out and meeting these people and enjoying the time spent. If after that meeting on the way home granny stops in Wal-Mart and picks up a few supplies and she is happy, more power to her and God bless her.

For me, I would have to say I'm a closet prepper. I prep for the needs of myself and my family. I do not hang out in prepper forums or blog sites, I do not attend preparedness expos to meet others or go online to find like-minded folks in the local area for coffee. My neighbors do not even know that I'm a prepper. In a way I live in fear, if something was to happen I really do not want anyone to come knocking on my door for supplies. As for the people you may meet at these places I think you're going to find some who are "way out there" to some who really do not have a clue. You have to size up each person individually and decide for yourself as to whether or not these are people you want to get to know.

I, like many, have not actually killed anyone. Could I? I hope the time never comes when I have to find out. I spent 26 years in the Coast Guard and have gone through all the drills and training I could get my hands on. I have dressed out and practiced for Nuclear, Biological & Chemical (NBC) warfare without actually being in any of those scenarios. Could I still do it, if I had the gear? Yes, but not everyone has the budget of the military to buy the correct gear. In the military we had to train and know how to do these things because we had to get our ship back up and into the action. As a civilian the best thing to do is get as much distance between you and the situation. Does this mean because I have not actually been in a survival situation that I cannot perform and do things from what I have read and studied? I don't think so. Some say a little knowledge is dangerous but having the basics is a good start. One of the things we use to believe in the military is, no one person can know how to do everything but the important thing is to be able to know where to go to find the information on how to do it. If you have a member of the family who read an article and says they know about how to eat the inner bark of a pine tree for example, instead of telling them they do not know anything, take them outside and try it out. Encourage don't discourage, and learn together.

Does anyone know what will happen or when? No, but I used to teach a course in terrorism, and as ugly as it sounds to us because of the way we have been brought up in this country, terrorism is actually a beautiful way of warfare. You have all the elements of surprise, when, where, how, what and who. One of the things about terrorism is that it does not have to kill many people. All it has to do is change our way of doing things after. How many people actually remember not so far in the distant past when you could go to an airport and actually meet your party at the gate. Those days are long gone. Now you cannot get near the gate unless you're a passenger, show your tickets, ID and go through a strip search. Now the drinks you buy inside the terminal are subject to testing for explosives. I personally will miss going up to the Burger King or McD's in the terminal ordering a burger, fries and a volatile Sprite. Just one act of terrorism can change our freedoms and our way of living for decades. So the terrorists win.
           
One of the things people prep for is the coming economic collapse. What is the coming economic collapse? We are living in a depression. Many people have lost their jobs, homes and benefits, we have a government that cannot even come together to pass a spending budget and the only thing that is a priority for them is getting re-elected.  How much more needs to happen before its decided that we are in an economic collapse? Are we talking the Government shuts down, all the banks close up, the stock market zeros out, money is worthless and no one in the country has a job? Another item is civil unrest. If what is happening with all the riots in the Middle East were to happen in a city here in the States would it be enough to send you to your BOL or are we talking civil unrest on a national scale? What kind of event would it take to cause it on such a scale where every city is in riot?

Everyone has to determine their comfort zone. I live in a hurricane prone area. Some people pack up and get out of Dodge while others stay. One day I hope to be able to buy a safer piece of land further from the coast in the mountains. But for now, like many, I have to deal and adjust for where I am. Many people who live in this region live with the dangers and beliefs that nothing is going to happen to them or the situation is not going to be as bad as predicted. What does truly bother me about that is that they are told to leave, they don't. Then shortly after things get truly bad, they are shouting "Help, come rescue me" and put someone else's life on the line.

For me, prepping is a hobby. I truly enjoy reading the information I find here on the Internet and in books. I like reading survivalist fiction because the books get me thinking of things that could happen and what I will need to do to prepare even further. To be honest I never thought of stocking up on a year's worth of dog food until I read the novel One Second After by William R. Forstchen. I enjoy reading of what others have done and how they went about doing it. One idea I picked up on SurvivalBlog here was in an article back in August, 2012: "Technology Today, by KCL04" he suggested getting an Android phone that you can store apps and down load all your survival books on.  Well, I'm not into the phone thing, but I took that information, did some research and bought a Nook reader from Barnes & Noble. Slowly but surely as I can afford it, I'm building my library. All my books in one of my kits must weigh about 100 pounds but I can store all of that on the little Nook and whole lot more.

I enjoy organizing and making lists. I enjoy going to the store, picking up the type of storage containers that work for me and filling them full of supplies. As one container gets full, I may take out the toilet paper and start it in its own container. It's not long before that one jar of Vaseline becomes a stackable container full of 12 tubs, the bottle of Listerine becomes a stackable container of 16 bottles and on and on it goes. I keep track of everything I have in inventory and as the kits and containers change. I get into the computer and adjust my inventory. I have made check-off sheets of items I use around the house every day and I keep a log of when I opened up the product and when it became empty. This way I have a working knowledge of how long an item will last and how much I need to buy to last me a year.

The other day my wife had some insect bites so I went to the medicine cabinet to get the calamine lotion then ended up searching all over the  house to find some cotton balls. Guess who now has a container full of cotton balls? Every time a disaster happens I find little chinks in my armor of what needs to be purchased and done so that next time I'm more prepared. I have my lists of things I need to save up for and buy and also list of projects I need to do. This past spring I finally built some raised garden beds and tried my hand at gardening. Cucumbers went totally crazy so I teamed up with a neighbor and we spent a day canning. With that experience, a couple of things got checked off my project list.

People who believe in God do so because we need to have faith and believe in something that will continue our survival once we leave this earth. We believe he has given us a set of rules and a guide we should live by, the Bible. So we spend our lives trying to do what is right and which serves our God and our belief. Well, prepping is not much different, we do not know of what kind of disaster will happen or even if one ever will. Some people prep more than others, just as some people serve God more than others. The important thing is that they are doing something. If prepping gives someone hope that in a time of a disaster what he or she has done will make them a little better off or more comfortable in a time of despair, well, more power to them. People sit around and love to hear stories about God and things that happened back when Jesus walked the earth. Well people also enjoy sitting around and talking up the prepping, learning new things and telling what they have experienced. The beauty of this country is we all have the right to do these things--buy, sell, prepare as we wish and love the God of our choosing and conducting our faith as we wish. If you are frustrated as to what you see other preppers doing or how they go about it, stop for a moment and be thankful. For now, we live in one of the few nations that allows this. God Bless America and each and every one living here.

Mr. Rawles,
I just discovered emergency storage food is sold at Costco.com. They have a sale going on right now that bears mentioning in your blog. A year's supply package of THRIVE food from Shelf Reliance for $1,199.99 including shipping and tax-free. No additional cost for existing Costco members. Non-members can also purchase this but must pay a small surcharge. They quote shipping as 5 to 7 days. 

This is the best deal on emergency storage food I've found after quite a long search and was the first deal that prompted me to pull the trigger and stock up.

Thanks for all you do. - L.B. in Western Washington

How crowded is the American Redoubt? To put things in perspective: Delaware measures 2,489 square miles and has about 910,000 residents. Meanwhile, Connecticut is 4,845 square miles and has about 3.5 million residents. But consider Idaho's two largest counties: Idaho County, Idaho is 8,503 square miles and has 16,267 residents, and Owyhee County, Idaho is 7,696 square miles and has 11,526 residents. Then there is Phillips County, Montana, with 5,212 square miles and 4,253 residents. And how about Sweetwater County, Wyoming? 10,491 square miles (think of it as more than two Connecticuts or three and a half Delawares) yet is has 43,806 residents. Or consider Harney County, Oregon. It is 10,226 square miles but has just 7,422 residents. That is less than one person per square mile. Now that is elbow room!

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Bruce in north Idaho reports: "As you probably know, the wheat woes hitting the rest of the world, and perhaps areas of the central U.S., are not being felt by our farmers here in the Northwest. You can find some broad, general statistics posted by the Washington Association of Wheat Growers. My neighbor's son had a good wheat harvest on the family farm outside Great Falls, Montana, and the folks harvesting wheat on the Rathdrum Prairie of north Idaho are also having good yields close to 80 bushels per acre. Someone told be that wheat farms down around Walla Walla were getting close to 125 bushels per acre. I don't know what the yields have been in the valleys north and east of Bonners Ferry, but from the golden crops I saw there back around July, I'd guess they did very well. The wet spring and hot, dry summer were exactly the right combination for wheat growing in the Northwest."

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U.S. Railroads Are Booming, Thanks to Bakken Oil. (The Bakken regions extends into eastern Montana.)

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An Idaho headline: Hunter bit by grizzly bear.

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Insecurity feeds Idaho ammo supplier’s growth: Howell Machine’s workforce has grown fourfold in five years and is still expanding.

Does anyone really believe this Pollyanna pie-in-the-sky nonsense now coming from the mainstream media? With QE3, We All Win -- Poor and Rich Alike. What balderdash! Let's face facts, folks: The Federal Reserve has backed itself into a corner. They can't do anything that will trigger higher interest rates. So the only arrow left in their quiver is monetization ("quantitative easing" is the gentler, sugar-coated name.) Their brilliant plan is to re-inflate the housing bubble by buying up $40 billion per month, indefinitely, in mortgage derivatives using make-believe money. This pure fiat "money" is coming from their Sunshine Pump. I can only ask: How long can that continue? And how long will it be until our foreign creditors demand a higher rate of return to roll over their Treasury paper? Once interest rates rise, the party will be over. We will see a credit collapse and then a collapse of the US Dollar.

The producers of the popular Silver Bullet, Silver Shield videos have begun minting their own one-ounce .999 fine silver medallions. They are being sold for as little as $2.99 over the spot price of Silver. If you orders yours using the link from SurvivalBlog, we will earn a small sales commission to help defray our considerable monthly bandwidth expenses.

Over at Dr. Housing Bubble: Betting the house with the Fed – Stock market at levels last seen in December of 2007 – Examining what has changed and impact of Federal Reserve on housing. QE3 preemptive strike on fiscal cliff?

At OilPrice.com: Libya - Doomed from Day One

Seeking Alpha's analysis: 324 Years Of The Gold-To-Silver Ratio And $195 Silver

Items from The Economatrix:

Gold & Silver Prices Today On Fire!

How The Financial Collapse Would Happen In An Obama Second Term

US Jobless Claims Rise To Highest In Two Months

Fed Bets Big In New Push To Rescue Economy.

Rick in New York mentioned this latest bit of Bloomberg-inspired insanity: New York OKs nation's first ban on super-sized sugary drinks

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Sue C. was the first of several readers to send this: Gun Sales Hinge on Obama Re-Election: Cabela's, Other Retailers Prepare for Surge in Demand

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G.G. forwarded a link to some Slate commentary that confirms my conjecture about the secret cache of Revlon Equave Hydro Nutritive Shampoo: The Biggest Problem With the Post-Apocalyptic Show Revolution: the Women's Perfect Hair.

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R.B.S. sent this news from Oz: Superbugs spread into NSW community. And in related news, AmEx sent this: NIH superbug claims 7th victim

"If you don’t do anything, nothing will change." - Ernest Lamothe, Northern Vermonter, 1961

Today we celebrate Constitution Day in these United States.

--

After living in The States off and on for several years, in 2008 Andrew and Mary Hall moved back to their home in Buxton Australia so they could  be closer to their aging parents. It was a modest three bedroom two bath house with exterior walls of “mud brick” (adobe) that helped keep the home’s interior cool during the hot Australian summers. With large eaves, a metal roof, and adobe style mud brick walls, many would consider their home to be reasonably fire resistant, but its construction proved no match for the forces of nature that turned the neighboring towns of Buxton and Marysville into deadly infernos on Australia’s tragic “Black Saturday” on February 7, 2009.
The prior week, the weather had been extremely hot, with several days recording temperatures of over 40°C (104°F). On that Saturday morning, record breaking temperatures combined with long term drought conditions and high winds (over 60 MPH) to generate the most serious fire conditions that anyone could remember. An official “extreme fire alert” was issued along with a strict “no burning” command. Mary remembers looking at the thermometer on that day, and it read a blistering 47°C (117°F)! Around 4:30 in the afternoon, a neighbor came by and pointed out a large ominous plume of smoke rising to the southwest. Andrew dialed 000 (The Aussie equivalent to America’s 911), and it just cut out. When attempts to call the fire department also failed, they decided to pack-and-go. Knowing that they did not have enough water and other resources to stay and fight should a major wildfire break out, Andrew and Mary’s fire plan had always been to evacuate. They packed some clothes, the dog, a few files, their computers, and a couple bicycles into the car and left their home, hoping and praying it would still be standing upon their return. 

Andrew and Mary headed for a friend’s place with a defensible piece of property that included a swimming pool and a dammed reservoir, plus an extensive supply of fire fighting materials such as pumps, a tractor, and backpack sprayers. Unlike Andrew and Mary’s property, which backed up to a steeply wooded hillside, their friend’s property was mostly grassland, making it easier to hold back a bush fire. About 10:30 PM a 3 meter (10 foot) high wall of fire descended upon that property,  and for the next eight hours family, friends, and neighbors fought to keep the flames and flying embers at bay. Exhausted, around 6 AM they were able to catch an hour  and a half of fitful sleep before braving the drive back to their home to survey the damage. At this point, they still had hopes that a favorable wind direction had spared their home. As they walked up the hill to their front yard, they saw that all but three mud brick walls had been totally obliterated. Except for the few things they had packed in their car they day before, all of their personal belongings and the tools for Andrew’s bicycle repair business had been reduced to cinders and scraps of molten metal.

Andrew also had a commercial coffee roaster (“The Great Divide Coffee Roasting”) housed in a shed on his partner’s property just outside of the neighboring town of Marysville. The entire commercial section of Marysville, except for the bakery, had also been destroyed by the fire, but miraculously, the shed that  the coffee roaster was stored in, as well as their friend’s home, had survived. Both were scorched by the flames, but spared the destruction which had taken all but 14 of over 400 buildings in Marysville. In spite of having lost their home, one of their businesses, and nearly all their personal possessions, they fared much better than many others in the surrounding area who had lost their lives or loved ones. On what has become known as “Black Saturday”, bush fires took the lives of 173 people, wiped out whole towns, and entire families were found incinerated in their cars while trying to escape the inferno.
In addition to the details of their trials and losses, Mary also had this to say in her official statement to the local police, “I don’t believe we would have done anything any differently. As far as having adequate warning, we weren’t given any. Other than knowing that it was a high fire danger day, there was no real warning. I don’t know that having had any other warning would have made a difference. I know I didn’t hear any siren or warning sound that day.” For my friends Mary and Andrew, knowing when to stand and fight, and when to pack and run, clearly meant the difference between life and death for hundreds of folks on that blazing hot Saturday in Australia!

Extreme Fire Alert, or Approaching Fire

• Stay tuned to local radio stations, but keep your eyes and ears open, not counting on authorities for proper warning. STAY SAFE! BEST TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION!
• Keep pets and children close at hand and ready for rapid evacuation.
• Place 72 hour emergency kits in car(s) along with important documents and computer backup files (“My Life in a Box”). Park cars facing towards the driveway exit for a speedy evacuation.
• When concerned about an approaching fire, a lawn sprinkler left running on your roof improves the chances for saving your home.
• Hose down bushes and hedges next to your home, and trim back if you feel it may be helpful or necessary.
• Close all windows and doors. Block foundation and roof vents to slow penetration of superheated firestorm gases inside the building envelope.
• Close fireplace or chimney dampers to minimize the “chimney effect” from drawing air up your chimney. Whatever volume of air draws up your chimney, will be replaced by superheated air from the outside firestorm.
• Remove drapes from windows and move furniture into center of rooms away from windows.
• Turn off natural gas lines at the meter (you may need to contact your gas company to have a qualified workman safely turn your gas back on) and propane lines at the tank. Place a lawn sprinkler on your propane tank.
• Remove gas grills and portable propane tanks far from the home, as well as combustibles such as portable gasoline cans.

When a Fire Strikes Your Home

Remember that hot air rises, so if your step into a hallway filled with choking blinding smoke, drop to your knees to see if that will get you into a bearable level of smoke so you can speed crawl your way to safety.

Normal types of fires needs oxygen in order to burn. When hair or clothing catches on fire, quickly smother the fire with a towel, blanket or jacket tightly wrapped around the burning area on the victim. Alternately, get the victim to roll on the ground to smother the flames, or grab and hug the victim while using your own body to smother the flames.

In an emergency situation, realize that most homes are built with interior walls covered in sheetrock. If necessary to avoid a fire and smoke filled hallway, or to gain access to a room to rescues a family member, realize that this sheetrock can be easily kicked through to allow a person to slip between the studs from one room to another without using a door or window.

When to Make a Stand, and When to Pack and Go

The 2001 Martis Fire started about two miles downwind from our neighborhood.
When a fire threatens, remember the story of Andrew and Mary Hall, keeping in mind the fate of those less fortunate families that were found incinerated inside their cars after being overtaken by a fire storm during Australia’s infamous “Black Saturday.”

When it comes to wildfires, it is better to err on the side of caution than to risk all in a moment of valor!

The Original Counter-Argument: The Founders' Case Against the Ratification of the Constitution, Adapted for the 21st Century, by Paul Douglas Boyer
ISBN: 978-14477450673
Paperback and Kindle Kindle edition available from Amazon.com
298 pages, appendixes, bibliography, nice size print for those of us who wear eyeglasses.
Bad news first: there is no index. (Any nonfiction work should always have an index.)

How many times have you heard ‘they-he-she violated my rights’? How many times have you wondered just how many rights are in the Bill of Rights? How many citizens have actually read the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Articles of Confederation? Too boring?

Gratefully, all three documents are written in such a manner we do not need a lawyer to understand the wisdom of the Founding Fathers of this nation. The documents are included in this book as appendixes. Each is short, easy to read, and alone are worth the price of the book.

Another interesting appendix is the Population Chart of the first seventeen states from 1790-2010. One state leads the charge to overpopulation, while a handful has barely grown at all.

The most interesting document in the book is a short transmittal letter written by George Washington. I suggest you read it first, and then read the remainder of the book from the beginning. Then read the letter from a wise man once again.

The author presents thirty opinions from the beginning of the great debate concerning the need for a constitution. Some are less than a page in length while others are more long-winded. All are interesting and still relevant to the discussion. Each essay has a short, less than a page, introduction to set the stage, and a short list of key points after each essay. Both are helpful, and are not the author’s opinion. Whether you agree or disagree with each essay, they all add to your knowledge base of the most important documents of our nation.

It is surprising who opposed our constitution and how close the votes for ratification were in each state. The debates were spirited, thoughtful, and at times quite heated, as they should have been. The debate still rages today, and should continue as long we exist. Is our federal government too powerful is the eternal question.

Copies of the proposed constitution were printed and widely distributed to the citizenry for their input. People were encouraged to study the documents and voice their opinion. Nowadays, our legislators do not even read most of the legislation they cast a vote for or against.
The author is not an historian, which may be why this book is so good. With a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, he has applied his training to pick apart a complex issue, and the book is presented in an easily understood format.
You would do well to include this book on your reference shelf.

Our Constitution will be 225 years young on 17 September 2012, and a good day to buy this book. Happy Birthday to us all.

I have literally lost count of the number of SurvivalBlog readers I've heard  from, who asked "what is the best camo pattern..." Well, there is no easy or absolute right answer to this questions. It depends on the terrain, that you'll be operating in, as to what camo pattern works best. I have always been fond of the old Woodland camo pattern - but it's getting harder and harder to find this surplus clothing.

Without a doubt, I believe the US Army's ACU gray digital camouflage pattern is one of the worst camo designs to come along. It doesn't matter what terrain you might be in, if you are wearing ACU, you stick out like a sore thumb. The US Army has finally realized this, and are switching to other camo patterns.

The old US military woodland camo pattern is a really decent design and works pretty well, when you're in the woods or grassy areas. However, it's not the best camo pattern. Enter the new Propper Clothing blended  A-TACS foliage green blended pattern, that is really outstanding. First of all, the Propper uniforms are sewn to US mil-specs, and vat-dyed 50% Nylon/50% cotton rip stop fabric. There is hook and loop face for attaching rank insignia and unit patches, as well as name tags. The Mandarin collar can be worn up or down, and the hook and loop sleeve cuff closure provides positive closure and adjustments. There is a 3-slot pen pocket on the left sleeve and shoulder pockets are designed to fit optimally with the OTV.

Propper's matching blended camo pattern pants  are made of the same material, and feature leg cuffs with front closure ties. Also featured are knee pouches with hook and loop closure for internal knee pad inserts. Button fly with a drawstring bellowed calf storage pocket and forward-tilted cargo pockets. Now, without a doubt, both of these clothing items are super-strong - we're talking seriously tough material, that will give you years of service. Ok, so what's the big deal, you ask? Mil spec ACU clothing is built strong as well.

The "blended" A-TACS foliage green camo pattern on the Propper clothing is unlike any other camo pattern you've seen. It's really hard to describe, but the colors aren't "printed" - instead, the colors are actually "blended" - kinda like working with different water-based colors on a piece of paper, where you get the different colors to blend together. I'm not sure how Propper pulled this off, but I'm blown away at how well this camo can blend into the woods in the Pacific Northwest here in Oregon. I did a test, I walked across the road to my neighbors property, and placed the Propper shirt and pants on some blackberry bushes - this is only about 50-yards from my front door. Keep in mind, I knew where I placed the clothing. When I walked back to my front door, I turned around and it literally took me a few seconds to find where the clothing was on the blackberry bushes. I asked my wife and oldest daughter to come outside and find the "hidden" clothing - they couldn't find it - even when I was pointing at it. That, my friends, is an outstanding camo pattern for the woods. It is perhaps the best camo pattern I've run across for staying hidden in the woods.

There are many SurvivalBlog readers who are hunters, and the Propper Foliage Green blended camo, would make an outstanding clothing for still or stalk hunting. It would be great for bow hunters who use tree stands - you just blend into the background with this foliage green camo pattern. I wish I knew how Propper was able to make this camo pattern, it's very unique, to say the least. But very effective, to be sure. Check out the web sites above for a close look at the camo pattern, however, keep in mind, the photos don't do justice to the camo - you can't do this clothing justice, until you see (or not see it) in the woods. When I go hunting this coming Fall, this is what I'll be wearing. And, if I ever have to bug out for the boonies, this will be my camo clothing of choice.

These Propper camo clothing items are made in The Dominican Republic. The jacket/shirt and trousers retail for $59.99 each. However, you won't be wearing this clothing out anytime soon, so if you are in the market for some of the best woodland pattern camo clothing, that will hide you, take a close look at the Propper line-up.

Okay, on to my "uniform" of the day. I don't honestly recall when I last wore a pair of jeans, or a suit - I believe the last time I had a suit on, was about 11-12 years ago, when my oldest daughter graduated from college. My "uniform" of the day usually consists of cargo pants, a t-shirt and hiking boots. During the summer months, I wear some kind of button-down shirt over my t-shirt, to conceal my handgun. I've been wearing cargo pants, long before they ever became popular, like they are today.

Along with the A-TACS Foliage Green blended camo clothing above, that I received for test and evaluation, I also received Propper's Lightweight Tactical Pants. These are a step-up from my usual cargo pants, in that, they are designed for "tactical" use - plenty of pockets and other added features that you will find of use when carrying concealed. You'll see SWAT teams wearing these pants (they come in various colors) as well as street cops wearing these pants. However, you'll also be able to wear these pants off-duty as well...and "no" you don't have to be a cop to wear these pants - they are great for everyday wear.

Okay, bear with me, there are a lot of features on the Propper Lightweight Tactical Pants. Fade, shrink and wrinkle resistant, DuPont Teflon fabric protector repels stains and liquids, low profile appearance for use on and off duty, includes a D-ring for keys or tools, extra-large belt loops, action-stretch waistband for enhanced comfort, reinforced seat and knees,zipper fly, nine-pocket design, two cargo pockets with hook and loop closure, two hook and loop closure back pockets with wallet (pocket in a pocket), two front pockets with reinforced opening for folding knife or multi-tool, internal openings for knee pads, cell phone pocket, two hidden coin pockets and they also come with a free matching belt. That's a lot of features, to be sure.

The Propper Lightweight Tactical Pants are 65/35 poly cotton ripstop DuPont Teflon fabric. And, the fabric is coated to repel stains. In my case, this really comes in handy, especially when I'm in the yard playing with some of my German Shepherds and they are playing rough with me - I'm always getting my pants (and everything else) dirty - I often wonder why I bother to have my wife wash my pants, 'cause next time I put 'em on, and play with the dogs, they are dirty all over again.

Over the years, I've tried quite a few different cargo-type pants, some are good, some are really good, and some I wore one-time and gave them away. These new lightweight tactical pants, are really a cut above most of the rest. When I tried the pants on, they actually fit like they were supposed to. This isn't as easy as you might think - some pants, just don't feel right when I put them on. I almost felt like I was "dressed-up" in these pants. As comfortable as they were, they were even more comfortable after they were washed. For me, if my pants aren't comfortable, I won't wear them - simple as that. Additionally, the belt loops are spaced properly so when you wear a gun on your belt, the gun is just in the right position.

I've purchased similar tactical cargo pants for a lot more money, than these Propper pants retail for $39.99. I'm sure you'll find a good color selection, as well as size selection. For me, these are the only tactical/cargo style pants that I'll be purchasing in the future. Yeah, I really liked 'em that much.

If you're looking for some other type of tactical/survival/military clothing, be sure and visit http://ustacticalsupply.com/apparel.aspx and check out some of the other excellent clothing products they have. Every time I visit the walk-in store at US Tactical Supply, they always have something new and exciting there, that I find I must have.

Now, I know this article won't end the debate over which camo pattern is "best" for concealment. However, if you find yourself operating in a wooded area, or the mountains, with lots of trees and shrubs, I think this A-TACS foliage Green camo clothing will be hard to beat - it really is amazing how well you blend into the woods when wearing this clothing. - SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Mr Rawles,
I must contest the foolish statement made by Mr. Prentice in his essay, To Arms! Prentice's labeling Unlawful LEO Activity as a credible threat to the life of civilians is borderline absurd.  Yes, there are bad cops in our police forces. That's nothing new and those officers should be purged as soon as possible and serve time in jail if needed. Bad cops irritate good cops and ruin the good will honest officers struggle daily to build. But there are bad cops because police officers are not super human genetically enhanced automated machines. We are picked from your neighborhood, go to your colleges, and live next door to you. The average cop sees far more death, depravity, and tragedy that most soldiers will ever encounter over their 25 year career. The average cop could easily qualify for a medical retirement based on the traumatic stress that we endure daily. The majority of all your blog followers would love to have 2, 3, 4 local cops living on their block to provide a Neighborhood Watch on steroids. Yes, even good cops have bad days and sometimes lose control. So throw the bum out? If so your local PD would have no officers employed very quickly.

Prentice's belief that the average preppers should consider the local cop as a deadly threat is foolish and dangerous. Foolish in that the overwhelming majority of officers willfully run to your emergency with out reservation. They willfully, dutifully, risk their lives to save yours for low pay, horrendous working conditions and far to often with career ending injuries or PTSD issues. Yes, the bad ones out there do tarnish the work and valor of the honest cop. But to equate these few bad officer to the total vast good cops and deputies is reckless. Prentice equates officers to muggers, home invaders, foreign invasion, kidnappers, active shooters and even wild animal attack. Really? This is no different than the Prepper that steals, kills, or hurt others for what ever reason. It gives the rest of us  preppers a bad reputation and subjects us to public ridicule.

Prentice's comparing police officers with such significant criminal activity is dangerous, very dangerous. He espouse the idea of active resistance to law enforcement. The cop or deputy is tense to say the least as their lives are at risk every time they put their uniforms on. Active resistance to police action is a commonly accepted danger sign to the LEO community. It is taught in the academies and learned through survival nightly.  If a person disagrees with an officers arrest rational and actively resist the officer, it will not end well. Pull a gun on a cop and dang right the LEO will fight for their life to get home that night! The officer also has the right to self defense. It is far better to get the incident recorded or witnessed than contest the officer physically if you disagree with reasons for arrest or detention. Fight the issue in court and/ or make a complaint with the officer's internal affairs division. If the officer is a bad officer they will be removed from the department. But to promote active resistance to police officers is dangerous.

Why this route? Very few citizens know what their rights are or what heir responsibilities are. To physically resist or fail to comply with a legal order given by an LEO simply because you disagree with the offices rational for the arrest or detention is dangerous.  Instead of treating your local officers as a threat to you I suggest a some what radical but effective alternative. Rarely do officers receive thanks or appreciation for risking their lives night after night for strangers. I suggest thanking officers every time you can. We officers need your approval, your appreciation. This is not posterior kissing to get out of a ticket but a genuine thanks. We need to know that our lives and efforts have not been wasted. That the scars we endure, both physically and mentally, were worth the pain. Far to often we only see the negative that society has to offer. Officers rarely receive thanks or appreciation from those we protect. Your thanks, or hello will do far more than just bring a smile to our faces. It is a healthy reminder of why we officers run to danger. We need the approval and appreciation from the good people of society. Yes, there are incidents where rouge officers fail themselves, their fellow officers, and society.  But only the very minute few actively violate their oaths of office and pose a threat to society. This is why Prentice is foolish and dangerous in stereotypical labeling LEOs as a significant threat to the average citizen.

Thank you, - Mark B.

JWR Replies: I agree that in the present day that local law enforcement is not a threat. Nor are most of our other neighbors. However, under the exigent circumstances of a major, widespread disaster some police might be co-opted into enforcing martial law, or might be co-opted into enforcing new unconstitutional laws, or they might even go rogue in order to feed their own families, but I think that would be a rarity.

It is difficult to predict how things might play out in a societal collapse. I agree that generally most local police officers and sheriffs deputies will be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. But it would be foolish to assume that at least a few who are in positions of authority won't be tempted to overstep their bounds in the midst of chaos and a power vacuum created by an extended interruption the power grids, a lack of telecommunications and the loss of influence of--or perhaps even the very existence of--whole sectors of government and public services.

Adele Davis Low-Sugar Granola

This is nutritionist Adelle Davis' recipe, that I copied from a magazine in a doctor's office waiting-room more than 30 years ago, and have since shared with many dozens of people.

In a large pan (a shallow roasting pan is good) combine dry ingredients, mixing well:

5 c. regular rolled oats

1 cup chopped almonds

1 cup raw sesame seeds

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup powdered milk (not instant mix)

1 cup soy flour [or wheat flour]

1 cup wheat germ.

In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine 1 c. honey and 1 c. vegetable oil.  Mix very thoroughly with the dry ingredients.  Using a large mixing spoon in each hand saves time.

Spread evenly in the pan and bake at 300 degrees.  After 30 minutes, remove from oven and stir the mixture.  Return to oven for another half-hour or until a toasty golden brown.

Stir and chop so that clumps don't form upon hardening. Toasted nuts could be added while stirring.

Store in airtight containers.

Chef's Notes:

This granola tastes like oatmeal cookies, but is much more nourishing - and wonderful to take on long trips where mealtimes are uncertain. Small zip-lock baggies and plastic spoons are easy to pack.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Adelle Davis Tiger's Milk ("Pep Up" )Recipe

Adelle Davis Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

Currently Available as Free Kindle e-Books:

The Quinoa Cookbook: Nutrition Facts, Cooking Tips, and 116 Superfood Recipes for a Healthy Diet

100 Easy Recipes in Jars

Make and Freeze Recipes: Great Foods You Can Cook, Freeze, and Use Quickly and Easily

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks.

Unlimited monetization: Get Ready For An Epic Fiat Currency Avalanche

First corn and now wheat: Weather Woes Sow Worry on Wheat. Stock up your larder before prices gallop! (Thanks to U.E. for the link.)

John Embry Expects a Silver Price Explosion Driven by Physical Shortage

Items from The Economatrix:

German Court's Backing Bailout Fund to Test EU Resolve on Crisis

Fed Seen Starting QE3 While Extending Rate Pledge to 2015

Gary North:  Gold Bugs and Anti-Gold Bugs, It's a Fight for Civilization

Safecastle's current "Repel the Chaos" sale has transitioned to Week 4, with the following special offers (ending September 21st): 1.)  Safecastle Royal members who make any single purchase (one weekly incentive per member) totaling at least $450 receive a free Katadyn Vario water filter and a 20-pack of MP1 purification tablets ($117 value). 2.)  Or, make a purchase of at least $1,250 and receive a free Katadyn Pocket water filter. (a $379 value), and 3.)  They are now discounting selected Mountain House can cases up to 33% for a very limited time. Don't miss out.

   o o o

Reader Steve H. wrote to mention that he found a great deal on used, original U.S.G.I. woodland pattern camouflage Gore-Tex Bivouac ("bivy") bags. These cost Uncle Sugar $200+ each, but are being sold as surplus at just $39.15 each!

   o o o

My dear Mum sent this: A solar tractor, solar chain-saw, even a solar MG, all built by a engineer John Howe of Maine.

   o o o

A.S. mentioned that the 35-year-old survivalist classic novel Lucifer's Hammer will finally be available as an unabridged MP3 audio book. The release date is Tuesday, September 18, 2012.

   o o o

My September 6, 2012 interview on Coast To Coast AM is now available at YouTube.

   o o o

Reader "Out of Sight Out of Mind" (OSOM) recommended Michael Bane's television series The Best Defense. It is noteworthy that Bane has included Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog's Editor at Large) in several segments of the show. OSOM's comments: "These short videos are a really valuable acting out of criminal attack scenarios and the best tactics to handle.  Probably more important than tactics, they are great for priming your situational awareness and avoidance instincts. Happily, most of us don't live in a criminal jungle on a day to day basis - but we need to mentally 'pre-load' the ability to switch gears fast."

"Its called it 'The American Dream' because you have to be asleep to believe it." - the late George Carlin (1937-2008)

Today we present another entry for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest, as well as a guest article. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Among the different weapons I own I have several Russian WWII Mosin Nagants. I have wanted for some  time to find some kind of chest rig and or web gear to use with these rifles so they could possibly be used as battle rifles. I have several of the Russian surplus ammo pouches that came with these rifles but I wanted something that could hold more stripper clips and was more modern. I searched numerous times on the internet and could never find a dedicated Mosin Nagant chest rig. Finally, I found 1 seller on Ebay who was selling a chicom SKS style Mosin Nagant chest rig. The seller wanted over $70 for this 1 rig. That was way out of my price range at that time. This did give me a good idea though for making my own Mosin Nagant chest rig. Although this article explains how I made my Mosin Nagant chest rig the idea is to show how you can make a similar rig for your specific weapon.

After seeing this 1 Chicom style rig on EBay, I remembered that I owned a Chicom SKS chest rig. I took it out and went over it examining it to see how it was built and what I would have to do to make something similar. The common SKS chicom chest rig is made of olive drab colored canvas fabric. There are multiple pouches used to carry 7.62x39mm ammunition on 10 round stripper clips. They also have canvas webbing straps used for shoulder straps and waist straps. These also usually just tie around the waist without any buckle and also tied around the shoulder strap to adjust the strap length. The flaps that secure the pouches are secured with a wooden dowel and loop system. These rigs are bare bones and work very well. They were used in Korea and later in Vietnam.

So I decided I was going to make a chest rig and see how it worked out. Just for some background though, I have to admit I know nothing about sewing. I never learned to sew and never had a reason to sew. I had bought my wife a sewing machine several years earlier as she wanted to learn to sew but she also has no experience sewing. So I decided I would learn. I opened up the user's manual for my wife's sewing machine and read it cover to cover. When I was done I turned on the switch and started practicing. I am in no way an expert in sewing and I am sure I have been doing a lot of things wrong. That being said, I want to share my experience making this Mosin Nagant chest rig as best as I can. Please forgive me if I do not use the correct sewing terminology.

I figured that I needed to begin purchasing some supplies before I began. I started with fabric and began looking online for fabrics I wanted to use. I planned on buying military camouflage fabric that was actual surplus stock. I also thought I should maybe buy some nylon cordura. The four fabrics I initially chose and bought were the US surplus woodland ripstop camo, US surplus 3 color desert NYCO ripstop camo, OD nylon 1000 denier coated cordura, and coyote brown nylon 1000 denier coated cordura.
I also looked at the USMC MARPAT in woodland and desert surplus fabric, CADPAT, MARPAT nylon cordura, DPM, desert DPM, and Flecktarn cordura. Maybe later I will purchase one of these other fabrics to use for this project.

I then searched for an bought nylon webbing strap. The original Chicom SKS rig used cotton webbing straps. I found and bought 1" OD nylon webbing strap and 1" coyote brown webbing strap.

Next I went looking for hook and loop closure (Velcro) as I did not want to use the wood dowel and loop system on the SKS rig. I am sure a button and button hole or snaps would be the perfect solution as hook and loop is noisy but my very limited sewing skills made me use the hook and loop. I found at a local fabric depot multiple yards of OD 1.5" hook and loop and off Ebay I bought beige/tan 1" hook and loop. I decided to stick exclusively with the beige/tan for all my tan colored projects as coyote brown hook and loop was very expensive compared to the other available colors. More current demand maybe.

I then went looking for the hardware pieces for the rigs. First I looked for "D" rings to use on the back side of the shoulder straps to be used to adjust the length for different sized people. I found many different kinds of "D" rings on the market, chrome, colored, metal, and plastic in all shapes and sizes. I skimped on this part and ended up buying a 4 pack of 1" steel "D" rings at Wally world as it was a nearby source and cheap. I also realized I did not want to just tie the waist strap around my body like the design on the original SKS chest rig. The easiest fix was to add a side release buckle. Again there were multiple choices, colors, sizes, and styles. Even ones with emergency whistles built into the buckles. I settled with a black 1" plastic buckle again at Wal-Mart since it was right next to the "D" rings.

When I bought my thread I looked around at what was available for strength and sunlight resistant. I knew that there were different kinds of threads and some were a lot stronger than others. I found 1600 yard spool cones from a US seller on Ebay. I bought 1 OD and 1 Coyote brown spool of #69 bonded nylon T70 thread. This particular thread is made for use in luggage, tents, upholstery, and other heavy duty applications. It is also chemical and sunlight resistant.

My next step was to make a pattern so my pieces could have some kind of uniformity. I decided to use poster board for the pattern pieces. Again, I took out my SKS chest rig and compared and borrowed some of the measurements from it. Next, I took 3 loaded 7.62x54r Mosin Nagant stripper clips and stacked them staggered one on top of the other. I then measured their combined height, width, and length.  I wanted my rig to hold 15-20 full stripper clips so I planned for 5 pouches with hook and loop fastened flaps. I measured so that each pouch could hold 3 or 4 charged stripper clips.

When the pattern was complete I had 3 pieces of cut poster board. One for the base piece of the rig, one for the pouches, and on for the flaps. When I made my measurements I took into account that I wanted to double each piece of fabric. I wanted the same material seen on the outside of the rig also seen inside the pouches and the bottom side of the flaps. I also knew this would add more strength to the rig.  

Here are some links with pictures of the chest rigs I made:
http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh599/jeffinaz/1346192682659.jpg
http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh599/jeffinaz/1345947292807.jpg
http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh599/jeffinaz/1337126802846.jpg
http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh599/jeffinaz/1346192685418.jpg

Here are the measurements for my Mosin Nagant chest rig pattern:
Base= 27 3/4" long x 5 3/4" wide
Pouch= 12" long x 6 3/4" wide
Flap= 10" long x 3 7/8" wide
Hook and Loop= 3" long x 5 pieces both male and female sides

Here are the general instructions for how I then built my chest rig. I started by laying out the desired fabric face down on a table. I then traced the pattern pieces onto the back of the fabric for each piece I needed to cut out. I found that a Sharpie marker worked best on the Cordura and a dark colored pencil did a great job on the camo ripstop fabric. In all I traced 2 base pieces, 5 pouch pieces, and 5 flap pieces.

I started with the flaps first. I folded each piece of fabric length wise and then ironed a crease to make a visible seam in the middle. Then I opened the piece up and placed a male side hook and loop piece centered and 3/8" from the middle crease and sewed it onto the flap piece. I then folded the flap in the opposite direction so the pattern or outside was inside and then sewed the two long sides with a 1/8-1/4" seam. I then pulled the flap right side out and used a ruler corner to push out the corners. last, I pressed out the seams I had just sewn so the flap had the correct shape and sewed another seem across the first, along both long sides about 1/4" from each side. I left the bottom of the flap open at that time as I later would sew across it when I attached it to the base. This was done 5 times for each flap.

Next, I went onto the pouches. As I had done with the flaps, I also folded the pouches in half length wise and ironed a crease in the middle. I opened the piece up and placed the hook and loop female piece centered and about 3/8" from the crease and sewed it on. I then refolded the piece at the crease and sewed a seam across the crease about 1/4" from the it to make the top of the pouch. Then I marked a 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" square on both bottom corners of the pouch and cut them out. I then folded the pouch out at the inside corner of the 1st cut so the two perpendicular lines of the cut were resting on top of each other. There I sewed a seam down to create the pocket(bottom corners) in the pouch. I left 3/8" at the bottom of the seam un-sewn. Afterwards, I repeated the same thing on the 2nd cut of the pouch. Before turning the pouch right side out I cut a triangle piece about 3/8" off the corner of the bottom of the seam I had just sewn(reason why I left 3/8" unsewn on seam). This later helped when folding the corners in to sew it to the base. As before, I did this 5 times for each of the 5 pouches.

On to the base of the chest rig. This part takes the most attention as you have to add and sew the webbing into this piece along your "D" rings. To begin, I mated the two base pieces together with the two faces against each other and the inside denier coating facing out. I pinned the two pieces to keep them together and from moving while I sewed. First, I sewed 1 of the long sides with a seam about 1/8-1/4" from the side. Next, I took the first waist strap(cut to your desired length) and placed it inside the 2 base pieces. I extended it outside about 1.5" from the side and centered and then sewed a similar seam to the first along the 1st side.

The 2nd long side would be more work than just sewing a seam. I would have to add 4 more pieces of webbing along that side. before starting I measured 2" from each end and marked the Cordura and then again at 8" from each end. At the two 2" measurements I placed a folded 6" piece of webbing strap with a "D" ring on it making sure the "D" ring was again on the inside of the two base pieces. As I had done with the 1st waist strap, the 2 ends of these two pieces stuck out of the base about 1.5". At the 8" measurements I took my shoulder straps and folded them so they would both fit in between the base pieces with the other webbing straps. One end of both straps again extended 1.5" from the base at the 8" measurement marks. Once these 4 webbing straps were anchored at their measurement I sewed another seam across the 2nd length equal to the first.

This left the 2nd side open. Here I would then pull the base of the rig right side out with all the webbing straps now exposed. To help keep the true shape of the base I would again push out the corners with a stick or ruler and press the seams out. I then would sew another seam over the three seams on the outside of the base. To close the base I would insert the 2nd waist strap 1.5" and centered on the side and fold the ends in to make a similar seam as the others and then sew a 1/4" seam across it.

To finish the base, I sewed a staggered stitch at 2 points across each of the six 1.5" pieces of webbing strap that were inserted into the base's side. This added strength to the webbing straps where they were attached and took the majority of the weight off the side seams.

The last major piece to be sewn is to attach the flaps and the pouches to the rig base. This is done in 2 steps. First I placed the center flap on the rig base centered and 1" from the top and pinned it in place. Second, I pinned the remaining 4 flaps in place 3/4" from each other again at 1" from the top of the rig. I then sewed the 5 flaps in place across their open ends to the rig base.

The pouches take a little work to get in place the first few times. I would take the first pouch and fold in the bottom 3/8" piece at the end. Then center the pouch over the corresponding flap where it will be sewed on. I would pin the bottom of the flap 1/2" from the bottom of the rig base and then sew across the folded 3/8" attaching the bottom of the pouch. Once the bottom is attached you fold in each of the two remaining sides 3/8" as you did to attach the bottom. Align each side from the bottom in a straight line up to where it will overlap the corresponding flap at the top edge. Pin the 2 sides in place and sew them equal to how the bottom was sewn. Once this is done that pouch is finished, continue with each pouch until all 5 are complete.
To finish the chest rig, I cut and sewed two 8" pieces of male and female hook and loop onto the ends of the shoulder straps. This allows you to adjust the length of the straps as needed for different sized people. Cross the shoulder straps and run the end through the opposite "D" ring and secure with the hook and loop closure. Add the side release buckle onto the two sides of the waist straps and the chest rig is finished.

The cost for making these rigs was a bit more for me as I purchased 4 different kinds of fabric and 2 different kinds of thread and hook and loop. I did this to be able to make numerous rigs. Here is a list of the items I bought and their cost plus shipping. With exception to the "D" rings and the side release buckles purchased at Wally world I bought all the components from US sellers on eBay and or local fabric shops in my area.

• 5 yards Olive Drab 1000 denier coated cordura                                       $34
• 1 yard Coyote Brown 1000 denier coated cordura                                  $15
• 2 yards 3 color desert US surplus NYCO ripstop                                    $16
• 1 yard Woodland US surplus ripstop                                                         $12
• 10 yards, 1" Beige Hook and Loop (male and female)                             $7.95
• 5 yards, 1.5" Olive Drab Hook and Loop (male and female)                   $12
• 70 yard roll, 1" Olive Drab nylon webbing                                                $34
• 4 yards, 1" Coyote brown nylon webbing                                                  $15
• 1,600 yard spool, #69 T70 Olive Drab nylon thread                                 $7
• 1,600 yard spool, #69 T70 Coyote brown nylon thread                            $7
• black 1"(25mm) side release buckle                                                     $1.97
• 4 pack of 1" D-rings                                                                             $0.78F

For each yard of fabric I was able to make almost three complete chest rigs. I might have been able to get all three from the 1 yard of fabric if I had maybe laid out the pattern pieces in a different way.

For those who stuck with me through this article I wanted to add this rig will work with other calibers and weapons stripper clips. After making the first rig I realized I could also use 3-4 8mm Mauser stripper clips in it and they fit perfectly. I am sure you could use the above chest rig with the same measurements for almost any 30 caliber sized high powered rifle on its corresponding stripper clips. This could include .308, .30-06, 6mm Swedish Mauser, 7.5 Swiss Schmidt Rubin, 8mm Mauser, and many others. You can adjust the measurements above to fit any size charged stripper clips you want to use. I had even thought of maybe sewing in a looped elastic band inside the pouch so you could place and carry individual rifle rounds if you did not have any stripper clips.

After perfecting my rig for my Mosin Nagant I wanted to see if I could make a chest rig for my G3 magazines. Aside from surplus German Flecktarn G3 magazine pouches and some rubber or plastic double pouches there are not a lot of choices for chest rigs for the H&K 308 style rifles on the market. I measured out the magazines as I had done above with the stacked stripped clips. However, I goofed and measured wrong. My pouches were too short when the magazines were inserted and the flap would barely close. My fix was easy though, I tried putting FAL magazines in the pouches and they fit perfectly. So now my G3 pattern is my FAL pattern. Later I will redo the G3 chest rig with longer pouches.

These chest rigs are very minimal and would work perfectly worn under a Rucksack or BOB without causing too much discomfort. Some of the larger MOLLE and similar vest and chest rigs are a lot bulkier. But you can carry more gear in them. For me having both gives me a choice of either.

I may have to upgrade the shoulder straps to a wider webbing strap and or padded shoulder straps. 1" nylon webbing may be to narrow and cause pain over the shoulders with increased weight from larger and heavier magazines. I wanted to weigh one of the rigs loaded with strippers before finishing this but I do not have a scale. I did load up one of the rigs and found the weight was very negligible compared to any chest rig with loaded magazines.

I also noticed the surplus ripstop fabric was not as strong as the nylon cordura. Although I really like the look of the surplus fabrics they might not hold up as well as the stronger cordura. I figured if I wanted to  I could back the surplus fabric with a piece of cordura. Another thing I found while searching for fabrics to buy was there were numerous nylon cordura fabrics with matching patterns to many of the surplus patterns. My next purchase of fabric will probably be nylon cordura in woodland MARPAT design.

Currently I am working on making a chest rig for my daughter's four 25 round Ruger 10-22 magazines. This rig is a little different as it is almost 10" tall and the sides are angled instead of squared. Maybe I will make a chest rig for AK-47 30 round magazines and H&K93 40 round magazines. I also am thinking to try my hand at making different style rigs like SADF Pattern 70, NCStar VISM, AK-47 drum rigs, etc.

I guess the main reason for this article is to show that if you cannot find the gear you need, then make it. Remember, I have no experience in sewing and I have made six of these chest rigs from scratch.

The title of this essay could be either a call to action, or a toast to weapons.  Either way, the purpose is to discuss the decision of whether or not, and to what extent, a person should be armed.  The author is biased in favor of being as heavily armed as is legal under any given circumstances, and has a hard time coming up with reasons for not being armed.

The Right of Self Defense
I would bet that nearly all of those that regularly visit SurvivalBlog will agree that a person has a natural right, independent of and senior to any legal system, to defend his life and property.  This audience would also tend to agree that this right extends to defending others who are under an attack that could result in their loss of life or sustaining great bodily injury. 

The perversion by government of the self-defense right, and the attempt by governments to create a monopoly on the use of force, is at the root of our problems with government.  There are many governments, such as that of New Zealand, that do not recognize a right of self defense.  The United Nations also has trouble with that concept. The assertion by governments of a monopoly on use of force and denying it to individuals, and the use of that force to coerce obedience, to seize property, and to take lives, is perhaps the greatest of all evils.

Denying that individuals have the right of self-defense is an amazing thing, but you hear “civilized” people make that argument all the time.  Once you have been conditioned to think that the right to self defense is even debatable, you might find yourself also debating whether or not you should even consider arming yourself to do so.  If you are worrying about whether or not you should or can arm yourself, then this essay is aimed at you.

Weapons
Humans have big brains, and are bipedal, so that they can maximize the use of “tools.”  A review of the scientific literature makes it clear that “tools” is a PC alternative to the word “weapons.”  Humans are hard-wired to use weapons, and being interested in perfecting that ability does not make you uncivilized, it makes you more human.  Being disarmed makes you a slave rather than a citizen, a human beast of burden, who differs from a plow-horse only in that a human slave is also a “tax-payer.”

Many people have an innate abhorrence of weapons, and regard any act consistent with owning or using a weapon to be inexcusable.  Weapons guru Jeff Cooper coined the term “hoplophobic” to describe them.  The views of such people are ignored in this paper, because such irrational sentiments are of no interest to evolved humans who believe in individual freedom and personal responsibility.  (Note: I am often seized by a perverse desire to see the onset of a TEOTWAWKI event because hoplophobes and their progeny will be among the first to succumb, greatly benefiting the species.)

To defend your life and property you have to be willing to fight, and fighting involves weapons.  The array of weapons ranges from the natural weapons of the human body that martial artists seek to develop, to the group-served weapons and machines fielded by modern armies.  It would be nice to live on a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and use it for your personal protection, or to have a fleet of armed drones at your disposal to eliminate your enemies, but that would mean enslaving millions of tax-payers and forcing them to pay for it.  Let’s take a look at what is possible and effective for the individual to use for his own defense and those of his family or tribe.

Threat Assessment
A professional security assessment, whether involving the geopolitical strategy of a superpower or the defense of a small antimony mine in the ungoverned regions of Honduras, is built around the definition and analysis of a threat.  As in all strategic exercises, we begin not with what we think we know, but with the right questions, which in this context would include:

• What/who is the threat, and its objectives, means, weapons, and capabilities?
• What is the realistic probability of attack, and can you change that by deterrence/avoidance?
• If there is an attack, what is the most effective response/defense? and,
• How will the threat evolve if and when you successfully deal with an attack?

Security assessments for major commercial facilities in dangerous environments are often substantial documents requiring hundreds of man-hours from a diverse group of experts to compile.  For our purposes, the model can be condensed into a shorthand form that, with practice, can be effectively applied to any situation.  Let’s look at a few situations:

Wild Animal Attack – This can include mountain biking in Orange County, where lions have attempted to feast on bikers, or the backpacker entering grizzly country in Yellowstone, or the older couple taking their grandchildren to the local park where a pair of pit bulls is running amok (don’t freak – I like pit bulls, grizzlies and cougars!).  The probability of such an attack is normally small, but indeterminate; an attack might be avoided or deterred depending on the circumstances (aggressively resisting a mildly hungry cougar) or avoided with timely local intel (avoiding a recent grizzly kill noted on a map for you by a ranger).  If you can’t rely on avoidance/deterrence, then I prefer a large-caliber rifle (my 500 A-Square works great on cape buffalo), but that isn’t usually convenient and might not be legal, so a large-caliber pistol is the most practical defense most of the time.  Evolution of the threat isn’t a consideration - you aren’t likely to shoot a grizzly to death one day and find another one wearing Kevlar the next.

Muggers – The most commonly portrayed self-defense situation is that of a person innocently going about their business in public and being robbed, assaulted, or jacked.  Again, you might be targeted or randomly selected, and although avoidance/deterrence is possible, it can’t be depended upon.  The self-defense handgun you train with most regularly is the right weapon to carry here, but if it is illegal to carry a pistol, and you chose to refrain from doing so, then by all means equip yourself with the appropriate number of knives and a sturdy walking stick. Threat evolution is a factor - muggers learn to avoid people who might be carrying, and might also focus on gun-free zones.

Home Invasion, Burglary – When you are sitting at home, or lying in bed, you probably feel pretty safe, and you might be, particularly if you have a good security system, which should include dogs and guns. On the other hand, if it were possible to determine all of the independent variables, you could decide that you are more likely to suffer an attack at home than you are out and about. The safest approach here is to have firearms strategically located around the house, with appropriate measures in force to prevent misuse by children or incompetent adults.  If you carry concealed during the day, then why not continue to do so after you get home? 

Unlawful LEO Activity – What if you are assaulted by law enforcement acting outside the law.  I have many friends in law enforcement, who are just as upset about these incidents as we are.  If you think this is uncommon, then check out these web sites: here, and here.  Note also a disturbing recent report that certain jurisdictions hard-pressed in the current economic environment might use drug sniffing dogs and the right to property forfeiture to increase public revenues.  I am not a lawyer, but according to my research, there is a common law right to use force (but not lethal force) to physically resist improper police actions.  As noted at The Volokh Conspiracy, a recent Michigan case reaffirmed that right, while earlier Indiana rulings first negated then reinstated that right.  If you are the victim of such an incident, but are not in mortal danger, then it may be best to ensure there are lots of witnesses and lawyer-up later on.  If your life is in danger, then in my own mind a deadly assault under color of authority is the same as any other assault or home invasion.

Abduction – Imagine you have been abducted, beaten, sexually abused, and awaken to find yourself bound and gagged in the trunk of a moving car.  This is as bad as it gets.  There are those out there that would advocate continued cooperation, but I would argue that you are probably only alive because it is more convenient to kill you somewhere else.  I would also argue that cooperation is not consistent with pay-back.  If you are tied up, get loose, and root around in the trunk until you find a weapon – something like a tire iron.  Even if there is nothing that serves as a weapon, as soon as that trunk pops open your job is to kill your attacker(s) with whatever you have available.  What have you go to lose?

Active Shooter – The recent Aurora, Colorado, active shooter case produced an amazing storm of blog activity.  Some people pointed out that a single armed citizen sitting in the theater could have saved the day, and others dismissed that idea, ignoring the fact that something along those lines had really happened in 2007, where an armed citizen killed a shooter in a Colorado Springs church before he could get revved up.  Apparently the theater is a gun-free zone, so if you armed yourself and went to the movies, and someone saw your pistol, you would have to leave and apologize, or explain to the local police that you didn’t see the sign.  Even if you are only armed with a knife and/or a walking stick, if you are close enough you are just as dangerous as the shooter is, and the closer you are the less you have to lose since he will probably shoot you anyway.  The active-shooter threat has evolved – they always seem to select gun-free zones to attack. 

Military Attack – I can’t ignore this one.  Let’s say you have joined the Army, gone through your training, and have been assigned to a unit being deployed to Pick-a-Stan, and that you are not a combat veteran.  First of all, you should hunt down the individuals within the unit, particularly senior NCOs, who have been there and know what they are doing – stay close to them and learn everything you can.  Also, augment your EDC gear in meaningful ways, and ensure your issue weapons are not flawed.  Get tight with your fire team and talk about what is going to happen, and what has been happening, every day.  If you have incompetent leadership that is intent on getting you killed, discuss it with your team and figure out what to do.   In combat it is inevitable that people will be killed, but who gets killed is a function of training and circumstance; take your training seriously and become the most competent fighter you can be.  Don’t become a victim of circumstance.  Stay in shape, stay sober, stay alert, stay alive.

The Point – As you can see from the truncated threat analyses above, I can’t think of a single strategic/survival situation where you wouldn’t be better off carrying, and using, the most powerful weapon that you can use effectively and are legally entitled to carry.  Maybe you could avoid bloodshed by giving a mugger your wallet, but if that is the course you select, why not do so while retreating slowly gun in hand?  The grizzly in front of you might just be startled, and maybe you can act submissive and creep away, but why not do that while holding your 454 Casull at the ready?  It may be more comfortable on the couch if you take your Kimber out of your waistband and put it upstairs unloaded, but why not just loosen your belt a little and leave it on until you go to bed?

Firearms
If you have made the decision that arming yourself is a good idea, then let’s jump right to firearms, because firearms are the most effective personal defense tool you can have.  Volumes have been written on the best self-defense weapon, and you can devote the rest of your life to research in that area, so just let me say this about “which” firearm:

The best firearm for defending yourself is the most powerful weapon you can legally possess and use well, and which is in your hand at the time that you need it. 

There are several subordinate points to that main rule, including:

• A long gun is better if you can get it, but for concealed carry you are stuck with pistols;
• A large caliber is better than a smaller, if you can competently wield and accurately shoot it (if your carry gun is so heavy that you constantly elect not to carry it, even around the house, or if the recoil is so abusive that you are afraid of it, then it is the wrong weapon); and,
• You must regularly train in the use of your weapons (range time is not the only way to effectively train, dry firing drills are very effective).

Empty Hands
For reasons discussed elsewhere, I have good reasons for having acquired certain skills. I trained in the martial arts from an early age.  I was in lots of fights, and I won more than I lost.  Despite that, maybe because of it, I never willingly put myself into a situation where I am only armed with natural weapons.  I also no longer allow myself to be lured into a social encounter. The reasons for this are numerous, but the most important ones are:

• It is stupid – as the old expression goes, if you roll around in the mud with pigs you will never come out smelling like a rose, even if you “win;”
• It doesn’t usually remain a friendly bout for long – often friends will pitch in on either side or someone produces a weapon;
• If you are well trained and fit, and you win, and the other person gets hurt, you are screwed, whether he started it or not; and,
• If you are a CCW holder, and things get out of hand, you will lose your CCW, and never be able to get it back.

On the other hand, if it is a true survival situation, and you have no weapons, you will wish you had invested in the training.  You are also going to wish you had not had that last drink, that you had been keeping in shape generally, and that you or your significant other didn’t have such a big mouth.

My own preference is for martial arts that focus on combat rather than sporting aspects, and which also include weapons training integrated into the system.  It is only natural that I put in a plug for Kali-Escrima and Jeet Kune Do.  I have never studied Krav Maga, but I have worked out with guys that did study it and it seems very effective. 

The UFC/MMA thing contains much that is useful, and the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guys are correct that most one-on-one social street fights end up on the ground. Also, an intensive grappling workout is the toughest of all forms of conditioning I have been exposed to, so ground-fighting is a perfect ten for pure PT. Note however, UFC/MMA is still a sport with rules, and rolling around on the ground seeking your favorite submission hold while your opponent’s friends start kicking you, or he gets his blade out, is a tactical mistake.

I would suggest that the best – most efficient - martial art for you to study is the one taught in a location you can conveniently and frequently get to, is taught by people that will listen to and focus on your objectives and needs, and will keep you in great physical shape.  Also, there is nothing wrong with moving around from school to school and picking up what you can.  It was Sifu Bruce Lee who said “Absorb what is useful, reject what is not, and add what is specifically your own.”

In Between
There is a vast array of weaponry in between firearms and empty hands.  This includes knives, sticks, baseball bats, pepper spray, a belt with a heavy buckle, swords, spears, the staff, your car, broken bottle, almost any tool you can find in a workshop, and various improvised weapons such as a rolled-up Wall Street Journal. 

The walking stick along with good solid folding combat knife (or neck knife) is hard to beat.  It is also a combination that is compatible with the legal systems of most countries in the world.  A trained fighter so equipped is more dangerous at close range than a man armed with a pistol that is still holstered.  You can of course substitute an umbrella for the cane, or a rolled up newspaper. 

The cane-knife combination can make use of a number of weapons systems training regimes – the training I am most familiar with is the espada y daga components of Kali-Escrima.  However, if you happen to have trained in Kendo, then you will find that a relatively heavy cane is a lot like a samurai sword.  A knife alone is of course very deadly, even more deadly if the one using the knife is well trained, fit and conditioned to an ugly combat situation.  Many martial arts involve training with the knife, and some are almost solely devoted to it. 

The problem with most of these weapons is the same as with martial arts themselves, they are most useful in younger, bigger, fitter and well trained individuals.  The advantage of firearms is that smaller, older, weaker people can effectively use them.  Non-firearms weapons that have the same advantage, plus having the advantage of being (usually) non-lethal, include both pepper-spray (such as the one from Kimber, for example) and conductive energy weapons (such as Taser).  Both require some training to be most effective, which can be obtained locally throughout the USA.  They may not be legal, however, in all jurisdictions, so check it out if you are getting on a plane.

Beyond Firearms
Day-to-day self defense considerations rarely result in deciding upon such weapons systems as squad automatic weapons, mines, mortars, grenades, heavy machine guns, RPGs, MANPADS, or even armored vehicles.  This is the sort of thing that you would typically include in your planning for after the SHTF.  If your planning scenario includes this type of weapons system, then you need to invest heavily in legal advice and the requisite permits, and you will need a weapons budget much bigger than I have.  I wish you luck and I would really love to see what you come up with.

Children and Weapons
First of all, it goes without saying that you keep weapons safely locked away from children that are not properly trained in handling them.  If your children have been trained and indoctrinated, then I consider it your choice as to how secure the weapons need to be.  By the time my children were in their early teens they could field strip every weapon in the house, and I didn’t worry about something being left lying around unless a stranger was in the house.  When another child was in the house the weapons went into safe storage.  In this day and age, the way I did things might be illegal in some jurisdictions, so be sure and check if a relatively lenient policy would otherwise by your decision.

From a parents’ point of view, I regard weapons as being nearly the same as sex.  If they haven’t shown an interest, then don’t bring it up - unless they are at an age that you should worry that they haven’t shown an interest.  Actually, guns and/or hunting might be a more common kitchen table topic than sex in most homes, so the subject might be more likely to come up than sex in some families. 

In some homes, the kitchen table discussion might be more likely to include sex-change surgery for children than the best handgun to carry.  If that does describe your family, then I still advocate an early non-judgmental discussion of firearms if and when your child brings up the subject, to be followed by actual exposure to basic firearms training if a real interest is expressed.  This is not an area where enforced ignorance is good, any more than it is in the matter of sex.

With regard to bearing arms, I believe the earlier the better, consistent with the law.  A child can accompany an adult in the field and carry his own firearm as soon as he or she is able to complete a hunter’s safety course.  I think this may be the best way to ease children into the art of responsibly bearing weapons.  The concealed carry laws of all of the states I am familiar with confine that right to an adult (amongst other conditions), so even the most responsible child will not be able to carry a concealed firearm.

It is never too early to get your kids involved in martial arts, and that is an excellent way to begin instilling the philosophy of self reliance and personal responsibility into your child.  Again, as discussed above, if that martial arts training is more realistic, then it is better, and if it includes exposure to various weapons, then that is wonderful.   Since children are generally discouraged from carrying any sort of weapons, a good parent who refuses to wimp out on this subject will make sure that his or her children are aware of what can be accomplished with improvised weapons. 

I grew up in a different world than the one we are stuck in right now, and I had a knife on me all the time, even at school, from a very early age.   I still have one of them around here – a Barlow with a Bowie blade and a sheep foot blade of fairly soft steel that was easy to sharpen.  I think the first thing I cut with my first pocket knife was my thumb - that was how everyone in my day and age learned about sharp knives.  My kids had knives at an early age, but I think that they got in trouble for it whenever they got caught with them at school.  With today’s zero-tolerance laws I have no doubt but that it is probably a felony to let your kid walk around with one in public now.  Please check the laws of your state, county and city, the rules of your homeowner’s association and the policies of your schools before letting your children carry a knife.  

It is a dangerous world, and you can’t be with your children all of the time.  I gained some comfort that my own children had some training, and could react productively to a survival situation.  If you decide to not train your children at all, or if you tell them to trust in the authorities, such as their teachers or administrators, religious leaders, or local law enforcement, then in my opinion you are simply teaching your children to become victims.  If I can’t be there, then I would prefer that my children or grandchildren be dangerous in their own right, rather than have them depend on someone who might let them down. 

Legal Issues Relating to Weapons and Self-Defense
The possession and use of weapons, and the application of deadly force, is an important area of the law, and one that is constantly changing in various jurisdictions.  You can be sure that if you are involved in a self-defense situation, especially one involving a firearm, once you have survived the physical threat you will then have to deal with the legal aftermath, both criminal and civil.  Check with your local police or sheriff’s department for guidance, consult the hundreds of web sites devoted to weapons and the law.  Better yet, go visit a local attorney that advertises a specialty in firearms law and invest in an hour of his time. 

Summary
My bias is pretty evident by now.  I believe that you should always be as heavily armed as you are legally entitled to be, bearing weapons you are trained in and can use effectively.  If you are not legally entitled to carry a firearm to a certain location, then don’t go there.  If you have to go there, then arm yourself in some legal manner, such as walking stick and pocket knife.  Work out with those weapons so that you can actually apply them in practical situations. 

There are dangerous people out there who won’t worry about legality.  They will be waiting around for someone that looks vulnerable.  Make sure you are not what they are looking for.  Better yet, be more dangerous than they are.

The Author
Despite the state's appalling politics, the author lives peacefully in California.  He is engaged in the business of financing energy and technology firms, and is the acting CEO of a private military contracting firm.  He is also devoted to the personal pursuits of rock climbing, martial arts, and hunting.  Prentice is also the author of Feral, a novel with significant Libertarian overtones, and the short story Purgatory.

Sir:
Thank you Mr. Rawles for your blog. The recent post about scouting from Louie in Ohio brought back a flood of memories for me and the scouting program of so many decades past. One such memory was from a wise Scoutmaster at the beginning of a 50 mile 6-day hike through Alpine wilderness . He stated that in 6 days we would walk out of these woods a different person than had walked in. Most of the twenty or so young men scoffed at hearing such counsel. Of course we ran out food on day four, we were responsible for allocating our food per day and we over-ate in the first two days. Yes our packs were lighter but that foolishness was soon evident. 

For a group of young men in their mid teens to struggle on those last two days hungry, tired and our Scoutmaster driving us on those last 20 miles was a life changer for me. Yes we tried the 'Living off the land approach.' We caught plenty of those high lake Cutthroat trout. No matter how many we ate we were still famished. To this day I  still carry a MRE packed with my First Aid kit when I travel.

This brings me to a key point. No matter how much food storage you think you have, you don't have enough. I cringe when I watch on YouTube when people show off their "one year supply" of food. At best they have half of that. I use a very simple formula: people eat three pounds of food a day, some more some less. So at 365 days you need a minimum of 1,000 pounds of food per person per year. All food weight is calculated at the time of eating. So dehydrated food would weigh much more when re-hydrated. Please stock up now when food prices are so incredibly low. To prove my point I was standing in the check-out line in my favorite restaurant supply store last month and  three young ladies were pushing those flat bed carts , each were heaping with food. I had to ask the one young lady with the clipboard who were they feeding? She stated they were feeding a Girl Scout camp of 150 girls and 20 staff members for one week. I was astonished, I stated there is no way a bunch of girls could eat that much food in one week. She laughed and smiled and said "Oh yes they can!" The food would easily weigh down two pick-up trucks. Please stock up now. We are about to enter a life changing experience, and no you don't have enough food. - Matt in the Evergreen State

A "must watch" video by Peter Schiff: Operation Screw: The Fed goes all-in on QE. The Fed is attempting to create another, larger housing bubble.

What Does A $4 Trillion Fed Balance Sheet Mean For Gold And Oil? (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

G.G. sent this essay by Nicholas Eberstadt: A Nation of Takers: America's Entitlement Epidemic

World War III: the unthinkable cost of preserving the petrodollar

Items from The Economatrix:

Mish:  Canadian Exports Collapse, Expect Plunge in GDP

Jim Rogers:  QE3 Will Make The Fed "Look Like Fools Again"

Why Wages for Jobs Aren't Rising

F.G. sent: Cameras to protect speed cameras from "vandals"

   o o o

Sean M. sent: Small rural-Arizona school evokes old-frontier spirit

   o o o

A slightly different culture: Live Crab Vending Machine in China - Video

   o o o

Louis James of Casey Research: G. Edward Griffin on Saving the US from Totalitarianism

   o o o

James K. sent this link: Wood Pallet Shed Project

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." - Jude 1:3-6 (KJV)

The countdown continues: Now just 10 days to release (and "Book Bomb Day") for Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse. Thanks for your patience.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Sound like an old cliche? “One for All, All for One”? A phrase from the past.
But it is as valid today as it has ever been. Togetherness, cooperation, teamwork, none of those match the totality of “One for all, All for One”.
     
Of course there is no substitute for preparedness. As a former EMT, a person who has taken CERT training in my community, and who, as much as I can given my limited financial resources, taken the threat, for any reason, of societal breakdown seriously, I can attest to this.

I remember my instructor many years ago in Red Cross Advanced First Aid. Dear Mrs. Young.  At the close of one training session, she grew introspective. She simply talked to us. Something she said has stuck with me all these years. “If you are ever needed to perform life-saving first aid, CPR, mouth-to-mouth, stopping bleeding, it’s a good bet that you are going be surrounded by total chaos. People screaming, maybe at night, complete hysteria. The methods I’m using to teach you will mentally snap you back to this classroom; you will do the right thing at the right time. Because you are prepared”.

Well, the same thing applies to the principle of banding together in times of crisis. No man or woman is an island and that also is as true today as it has ever been.  Given the results of forty years of the “it’s all about me” way of thinking in this country, even more so. Should, God forbid, calamity in the form of a massive earthquake on the San Andreas, or a total meltdown due to a cyber-attack on our hopelessly “all or nothing” system of communications, essential utilities, or food delivery occur, our world is going to shrink to a local level at appalling speed.

Local. Our horizons are going to contract. What is happening  twenty, two hundred, or two thousand miles away will be of little concern. Sporadic radio communications, if nothing else, will see to that. It is what could be happening in your immediate vicinity that will matter the most.

It is at this point that neighbors and community provide a powerful means of protection and deterrence. In fact, it is almost certain that this will be your only source of genuine protection. Because, as the former Los Angeles Fire Department instructor in my CERT course repeated so many times, “We (the Police and Fire) won’t be there”.
There truly is safety in numbers.

But just as we try to prepare by stockpiling, food, water, filtration, medical supplies, clothing, weapons and ammunition, so too must we prepare for communal defense and support.

And the only sure way to do that, to prepare so that critical time is not wasted when, not if, disaster arrives, is to get to know your neighbors beforehand. Now keep in mind that the things I’m talking about pertain to all people, no matter their location, but specifically to people living in the suburbs. Folks living in semi-rural or rural areas, or in tornado-prone regions for instance,  already have a “helping hand” mentality to a greater or lesser degree. But suburbs encourage anonymity. Suburbs encourage the “911” mentality. Less self-reliance, less neighborliness. It is this element that needs to be overcome. It does not need to be over-the-top; if there are like-minded people on your street you will discover this. Then maybe it truly is a good idea to have a specific meeting where things pertaining to mutual defense and assistance can be hashed out.

But it can just as easily be done through the old-fashioned American method of easy conversation.  Mention that you heard about a CPR class coming up which you intend to take. Or a web site that you found interesting; how to recharge batteries, how to do this or that. Broach the subject; you might be surprised at the willing response.
Especially today, in these times in which we live. In fact, the times in which we live are an advantage in a way they were not before. When everything was great. The whole point is to provide for an awareness that catastrophe can occur so that people are not cast adrift when it does. To build the foundation on which survival will depend.

When you talk to that neighbor of yours however do not  give away too much information. Not at first. Especially anything to do with food supplies or firearms. When the time comes, you and your neighbors can get into detail; Fred takes the 8:00 pm to midnight watch, this guy takes the midnight to 4:00 am watch and so on. The specifics can be gotten into then; what is important is that you and your neighbors have already contemplated it, already have it in mind. This means less time spent blundering about, trying to come up with immediate solutions on the fly and under pressure that could very well determine whether the group lives or dies. Like Jim Lovell said about the breakdown on Apollo 13; “We could’ve bounced off the walls for ten minutes but we would’ve still been in the same position as before”.

One of the most important things to remember when the time comes, when the people in your immediate vicinity are forced by circumstance to band together is this. Crisis brings everybody’s real personality to the surface. It is going to become evident who are the weak links in the chain, who are the dictators, who are the complainers, who is in it for themselves, and who are the most steady and dependable. Somebody has to take charge, but tyrannical attitudes do not get it done. They do not increase security, they increase danger by, if nothing else, encouraging turncoats.

Whoever is going to lead has to be a combination of steel and patience, insure that resources and talents possessed by your group are spread throughout the group for the benefit of the group.  And a leader must insure that those things needed to be done are done. There may be gruesome but necessary decisions that have to be made right from the start. In the event of a major earthquake, there may be fatalities. Those who have been killed have to be dealt with, there is no choice, it will do no good whatsoever to leave bodies unburied to possibly bring down biological unpleasantness on the survivors if nobody can bring themselves to dig the grave and place the unfortunate person or persons in it. Injured people must be treated and made as comfortable as the conditions permit. There can be no debate about this. How a group treats it’s weakest, most helpless, and yes, most clueless members is a predictor of how that group will fare.

A contingent of Australian SAS recruits were sent on a five-day survival course but issued with  just one 24-hour ration pack per man to last for the entire period out in the bush. Some of the men immediately began to dig in, to consume too much of their food while others conserved from the beginning. As the exercise progressed, those who had unwisely eaten most or all of their rations proved to be a drag on the group as a whole. The instructors watched carefully; those who shared their rations to make sure everybody got at least something to eat, in spite of their comrade’s foolishness, were the ones who passed the test.

We, the people who have taken seriously the warning signs, who have tried to use the time to be ready, as much as possible, for what may well be the worst times we will ever face, must also be ready to confront our fellow citizen’s foolishness. The people who deny that our comfortable life is in any jeopardy. The people who do not want to believe that this fabulous but appallingly fragile system can ever break down. The people who, faced with the disintegration of most, or all, of their assumptions, will reveal their true characters in a mad struggle to put food in their mouths, a blanket around their shoulders, and a roof of any kind over their heads. The people who will resort to any cruelty or atrocity to save themselves.  The people who, in spite of a blithe and carefree attitude that endangers their children and themselves, will rely upon the preparedness of others to make up for it.

When one is attempting to prevent someone from going over a cliff, one may finally have to let go if that someone is going to take you with them. We may be faced with horrendous decisions that will haunt us for the rest of our lives.  Which, I might add, may be short, for all our care and preparation. Nonetheless, I for one am prepared to make those decisions. I cannot fight off every starving or rapacious person or group that descends upon me on my own. I intend to have allies. Allies on whom I can depend, and who can depend on me. Allies with whom I have already taken the first steps.  Forbearance, mercy, and kindness will be present in my actions to the extent that I can afford them. But in the end, when all is said and done, I will most definitely fall back on “One for All, and All for One”.

 I guess that I have always been a “Prepper”.
Fifty years ago I joined the Boy Scouts. Of course most  of us know the Scout Motto, Be Prepared. Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the scouting movement was once asked, “Prepared for what?”  His answer… “Just any old thing.”

My Scoutmaster, Mr. Garrison, told us that we needed to keep our backpack packed and ready to go, that some evening he would send out the word and we must report ready for a camp out. There would be a time limit and we must get there under our own power (no parents driving us).
At first this was mentioned at our weekly scout troop meetings frequently, and then less and less often.
But then one afternoon in December the word came down…We were to meet at Mr. Garrison’s house in 30 minutes, packed for an overnight camp out. Don’t be late…no parents driving.
As I pedaled my bicycle up Mr. G.’s driveway I saw him standing there looking at his watch. He waved me by and said to go behind his house. I saw several scouts from our troop and joined the members from my patrol (the Ravens) and waited while a couple more scouts arrived. A short while later Mr. G. joined us.
We were it. No one else would be allowed on this camp out.
The patrol leaders met with Mr. G. and were given directions. Set up camp by patrols and find out what food we had brought. Our USGI pup tent shelter halves were stacked nearby.
Our camp was soon ready, the food collected and the Patrol Leader was reporting back. A couple of the patrols had little or no food. One patrol had enough for themselves. The Ravens had more than enough for the six of us.
A patrol leaders’ council was held. Would the two patrols that were prepared share with the others? I had no vote as Assistant Patrol Leader of the Ravens because our Patrol Leader, Paul, was there.
They all voted to share our food. Dinner would be meager, breakfast sparse, and lunch almost non-existent. That’s okay…after all its only one day; we’ll all be home for dinner tomorrow.
After dinner we played Capture the Flag until time to retire. As I snuggled into my old Army surplus down sleeping bag I felt a contentment, I was in my element.
Morning soon came, and with it a strange quiet. Although we were in the field behind the Scoutmaster’s house there were still several neighbors nearby and we should be hearing noise. My tent companion awoke and we started talking about how warm it must be outside since it was very warm inside the tent.
The tent was warm because we had about eight inches of light fluffy snow insulating our tent. Voices soon convinced us to come out and join the others by the campfire.
Breakfast was prepared and shared, clean-up and other chores were gotten out of the way. A hike had been planned and soon we set out. Most of us were sweating and tired as we got back to camp in a couple of hours.
Next it was time for a service project. Shovels of all sorts were distributed and we attacked the neighbors driveways, saving Mr. G.’s for last.
Lunch was both a little late and meager. After clean-up we grouped around the fire. Mr. G. took this time for reflection. He asked us several searching questions.
Did we learn anything from this experience?
Could we have done anything differently?
Could we have been better prepared?
What unexpected things should we have prepared for?
Was our equipment adequate?
Were we hungry?
Were we cold or wet?
The reflection went on and we saw ourselves as we were, young men trying to do our best in most instances, failing in some areas but also learning from our mistakes.
It was late afternoon on that December day as we broke down our tents, packed up our gear, put out the fire and assembled in our patrols for our closing ceremony.
Our flag was lowered, a benediction offered and the time turned over to our wise scoutmaster.
Mr. Garrison started by telling us a tale of the Pilgrims, of how some chose not to work but to live off of the labors of others. Of how their leader had to make the decision to deny the freeloaders the bounty of the industrious.
Next he spoke of Christ’s love for mankind, and explained sacrifice. The cold didn’t seem so bad as we stood there, a band of brothers, knowing we pooled our resources to benefit each other.
Finally he spoke of his fondness for us and the pride he felt in watching us over the last twenty four hours. We had banded together and helped one another. He had a final request. He needed some help in his basement. There were some items down there he needed help in disposing. Would we help? Would a patrol step forward and volunteer to stay for perhaps an hour or two?
All four of our patrol leaders stepped forward. We’ll all help you Sir. Many hands lighten the load.

And so the twenty or so young men went through the garage and down into the basement where Mrs. Garrison and several of the scouts mothers awaited with a fabulous meal.
As Mr. G. blessed the food he thanked the Lord for the fine young men assembled, for their willingness to participate and to share their supplies with their brethren.
As I remember we were all pretty solemn as we ate and thought about our adventure. We soon departed on roads cleaned by the county crews.

I pushed my bike home those two miles, wondering when our next emergency camp out would be. Would I be better prepared? Could I help the other Ravens get ready?

I learned some lessons that weekend and a lot of them have stayed with me. This event took place in the early-mid 1960s, around 1963. Those were times of worry, the Cold War was at its height, Berlin, Cuba, and Vietnam were making news. In school we had Nuclear Drills. Civil Defense Shelter signs were on many public buildings.

My father was career military and in the evenings I sometimes overheard my parents talking when they thought we were watching television. Our family moved a year or two later to a house that had a bomb shelter.

As my life has progressed I have experienced different levels of preparedness. At no time in my sixty plus years have I felt a stronger need to “Be Prepared” than now.

The Lessons I Learned that Weekend

LESSON 1-As I said, Mr. G. spoke of this camp out several times a month for several months in a row. He told us what we needed to do. We needed to have our backpacks packed with everything we would need for a weekend cam pout called at a moments notice.
 LEARNED- two things:

1. Listen and pay attention to people and events around you. Just because people stop talking about a danger doesn’t mean it ceases to exist.
2. Always have a GOOD or Bug out bag ready. My brother in law was career USAF and always had a duffle bag packed in his closet ready to go at a moments notice.

LESSON 2- As the weeks and months went by our scoutmaster said less and less about the cam pout He would review our plans only when a new scout would join our troop or someone would ask a question about it.
LEARNED- Pay attention to what is going on around you, prepare and do not lose faith. Do not let your guard down.

LESSON 3- As I arrived at Mr. Garrison’s house I saw him in his driveway looking at his watch. We only had 30 minutes to reach our destination (his house) with our gear. If we weren’t already packed we could not get there in time. I found out later that he turned away a scout driven by a parent, and several who arrived late.
LEARNED- Be ready, do not hesitate, follow those leaders in which you have faith.

LESSON 4- Our patrol leaders were told to see how much food we had and if we would we share.
LEARNED- Be generous with your brothers (and sisters), it will not hurt most of us to miss a meal. Always have more supplies than you think you will need.

LESSON 5- We had a heavy snowfall that night (at least it was heavy for the area in which we were).
LEARNED- Expect the unexpected. Weather is unpredictable. We recently experienced severe storms here in southern Ohio, had many trees downed and were without grid power for five days (but that story is for another time).

LESSON 6- After our hike and before lunch we were expected to participate in a service project, shoveling driveways for the neighbors.
LEARNED- Always be willing to help your neighbor. Mister Garrison did not ask us to shovel his driveway. We WANTED to do it for him. Serve those around you and be willing to allow others to be blessed by serving you.

LESSON 7- Mr. G.  took the time to get us to reflect upon the weekend.
LEARNED-The reflection time allowed us to see ourselves, our faults and our strengths. After any experience or situation take the time to play “Did Good- Do Better”.

LESSON 8-Our Scoutmaster’s prayer.
LEARNED- Be willing to seek blessings for yourself and others. Be thankful. Have an attitude of gratitude.

Summary
Was this the event in my life that made me a prepper? Was I always prepared for life after this? The answer to these questions of course is no.
This camp out, the wisdom of Mr. Garrison, the lessons learned were only stepping stones. Being prepared is not a place or a destination; it is a journey, a trek, a goal that will never be satisfied.

I have tried to pay back to scouting and Mr. Garrison the valuable lessons I gained in Scouting. It is hard. Many scouts (people) don’t get it. But many do. I have been a scoutmaster four times. I have over twenty years of experience trying to help young men get the point of being prepared. My three sons are Eagle Scouts. One gets it. I won’t quit working with the other two.
Continue your preparations. Stay the high moral ground. Never give up.

Lord Baden-Powell answered the question, “Be prepared for what?” His vision over 100 years ago has helped literally millions of scouts with their lives.
His answer again was “Be Prepared for just any old thing”.

It is said that Learning from your own mistakes is a sign of intelligence, but learning from the mistakes of others shows wisdom.
Be wise. Prepare for just any old thing.

Jim:
I just discovered something today that I wanted to share.  I have zero time in life to spend stocking up.  Amazon.com has a “subscribe and save” feature that provides additional savings on over 24,000 items under the grocery category.  You can choose to subscribe (meaning set up regular deliveries) when adding to the Amazon shopping cart, or just make a one time purchase.  I did some comparison shopping and found the subscribe price for coffee (whole bean or ground) to be even better than Wal-Mart or any of the big box stores in my area.  Go to www.amazon.com and in the search bar type in “subscribe and save”.  If you type in “subscribe and save in grocery”, a list of categories within groceries will appear on the left hand side of the screen, which allows for easier searching.  I assume that for all categories a sidebar menu will appear. 
 
Using this method to stock up is certainly not private (you can’t use cash and Amazon keeps a record of all your purchases).  However, potentially one might set up an anonymous email account, and use a prepaid Visa to make purchases.  I have not tried an anonymous purchasing method with Amazon.  It is normal for the UPS truck to show up at my door to make deliveries, so I might as well take advantage of the UPS visits by purchasing supplies through Amazon.  This will save me time and money. - Marcia W.

JWR Adds: I would appreciate it if SurvivalBlog readers would "click through" from SurvivalBlog's Amazon Store page, whenever they make any Amazon.com purchase. This way we get a little "piece of the action" (a sales commission), to help support the blog's bandwidth costs. Thanks!

The inevitable credit downgrades begin: Egan-Jones downgrades U.S. rating on QE3 move

Greg C. sent: More Americans opting out of banking system

Reader K.P. sent: Understand the Rules Before You Transport Precious Metals Overseas

Hyperinflation Is Virtually Assured – John Williams. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Five Years Since The Great Financial Crisis:  "No Growth, No Deleveraging"

Gerald Celente - Gold, Silver, & A Major October Surprise

The Euro Crisis Is Not Over And Is About To Get Interesting

G.G. flagged this Vauban homage: 15 Star-Shaped Forts From Around the World

   o o o

James K. suggested this: Bulletproof vehicles get lighter, stronger

   o o o

F.G. mentioned this furniture for gun geeks: Mosin Nagant Rifle Crate Coffee Table

   o o o

Giving preparedness a bad name: Kissimmee man stole trailer, planned doomsday bunker, police say. (Thanks to John McC. for the link.)

   o o o

Assaulted: A pro-gun documentary using Kickstarter financing.

"And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.

And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy [it] for the old hatred;

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.

And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them." - Ezekiel 25:11-17 (KJV)

Thanks for waiting to order your copy of my upcoming novel Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse. Please continue to wait until its release date (September 25th)--which is also our planned Book Bomb Day--to order. By delaying most of the orders until the 25th we are hoping to propel the book into Amazon's Top 20. Thanks!

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Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Wood is one of the most readily available materials for homestead construction projects and is also an important fuel source for many of us. I’ve always loved forests and trees, so I drew on my experiences growing up in Alaska and my work in the timber industry in Western Washington to write this post. 

If you are lucky enough to own your own forest, I highly recommend the book A Landowner's Guide to Managing Your Woods by Hansen/Seversen/Waterman.  This book will give you an excellent overview on how to keep your forest healthy and profitable, as well as giving you a broad overview of the logging industry. 

You are most likely already familiar with some logging tools. The most versatile and important tool is the axe, and you should have several. I prefer a double bit axe for felling and a single bit for limbing and pounding in wedges. Antique/junk stores can really help out here, as old axe heads of high quality can be had on the cheap often only needing to be sharpened and cleaned of rust. Supplement your limbing axe with several small hand saws.  A Peavey is another important tool that consists of a long lever with a hook for rolling logs. Again, you may be able to find one on the cheap at an antique store. Make sure to have a good supply of plastic felling wedges, which come in very handy when you are felling trees with a funny lean to them, as they take pressure off the saw when making the back cut. When using a chain saw, never substitute metal wedges for plastic or hardwood, as this could result in severe damage or injury if the chain makes contact with the metal. For moving logs, you will want a choker, a cable that can be wrapped around the end of a log to drag it from place to place. Additionally, you may want some extra cable, a come along, and few blocks or shivs.  For some larges species of tree to be cut by hand, you may need a spring board, which is a 2 x 4 with a steel spike at one end. Placed in a tree above the gnarled flare of the tree, it allows the lumberjack (or lumberjill) to make cuts with axes and saws in the softer, narrower part of the trunk. If you are going to be doing a lot of felling and bucking, you will want a logger's tape measure to ensure you buck to just the right length. Otherwise, you can use an ordinary tape measure for the job. 

Every prepper should have at least one large crosscut saw, preferably a two-man. Some of the older saws are superior in quality and craftsmanship, but ones in good condition can be very expensive. There are kits available for sharpening crosscut saws, and you will need to get one of these as well. Sharpening crosscut saws was specialized work back when they were in wide use, and it is a skill I have not mastered. Youtube has a few excellent videos on the step by step process for this, but I think the best way to really learn is to find someone who is willing to teach you. Another tip to make your lumberjacking easier: If you look at photographs of the old time lumberjacks with their “whips of misery,” you will often see what looks like a whiskey bottle off to the side. These bottles were filled with the oil used to lubricate the saw to make cutting through large trees easier. 

After you've cut a few trees by hand, you will think of a chainsaw as your best friend. I’ve always been a skeptical about keeping machines running post TEOTWAWKI without the benefit of substantial stockpiles of fuel, lubricants, and extra parts which most of us can't afford. The one machine I make an exception for is the chainsaw. There is no power tool more versatile to the homesteader. Besides its obvious use for felling and bucking logs, it makes log construction a much easier task. Post-TEOTWAWKI, I believe that anyone with a reliable chainsaw and a good stockpile of premium gasoline, 2 cycle oil, bar oil, chains and spare parts will be able to trade their services for a high price. In one afternoon, a man with a chain saw can do the work work that 24 men with crosscut saws did in a day. When electricity is unavailable, the chainsaw can be pressed into use for carpentry projects as well. Of course, keeping a low profile may make using a gas powered saw unacceptable, so always have the much quieter crosscut saw as a backup. 

Although there are many brands of chainsaw, Stihl and Husqvarna are the only two that I trust. Both of these brands have saws at the lower end of the price range that are intended for the suburban home owner market. Avoid these and choose a saw that is professional grade. The Stihl Farm Boss is a good choice for many people. It is a reliable saw, big enough for most tasks that a homesteader has to take on, but light enough that it can be used by smaller folks. In keeping with the “two is one” mantra, I recommend that you have multiple chainsaws of the same model, as well as spare parts.  

With a little maintenance, you can keep a quality saw running correctly with minimal problems. The most important preventative maintenance you can do is cleaning the air filter often. Remove the filter and use an air hose to clean it out from the inside and remove the junk that it accumulates. If you don’t have access to an air hose, you can use a can of compressed air duster for electronics. Use quality 2 cycle oil, this is definitely one place not to skimp, ideally from the saw’s manufacturer. For bar oil, you might be able to find cheap stuff at Wal-Mart or the like. Some folks I know use old motor oil for bar oil. This is not a good idea because the viscosity is different from real bar oil, and may damage your bar. Additionally, bar oil is biodegradable, which will help ensure the health of your forest. Some important spare parts to keep around are extra bars, air filters, chain sprockets, and a cylinder replacement kit. You will need lots of extra chain, which can be purchased in bulk rolls from Bailey’s, an online logging supply store. 

For safety equipment, a hard hat, Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps, eye and ear protection, and boots with excellent ankle support are musts. If you are going to be doing a lot of logging, you will also want a pair of caulks (pronounced ‘corks’), which are spiked boots for walking on slippery logs and soft hillsides. 

An important thing to understand is that felling trees is the easiest part of the job. You make your cuts at the butt end of the tree, and gravity does the rest. Moving a tree that weighs several tons once it is on the ground is much more difficult. For the logger working without the benefit of heavy equipment, felling timber in exactly the right place can mean the difference between successfully harvesting the tree and leaving it on the ground to rot because you are unable to move it. The best resource for learning about safe felling is a booklet from the State of Oregon entitled “Fallers Logging Safety,” available free as a PDF online. Follow safety procedures and stay within your skill level. Nothing can replace hands on experience, and I can't emphasize the importance of proper falling technique enough. Seek out real experts who will teach you the safe, correct procedures for felling so that you can develop good habits (as with many aspects in life, people who tell you they are experts are often anything but).  

Hand logging is the art of moving timber to the mode of transport with human power. Old time lumberjacks would typically work a hill side from the bottom to the top. Trees would be felled across the hill, limbed, and the rolled downhill to the stream, sea, road, or railroad by lumberjacks using peaveys. Sometimes, trees would be felled down the hill on top of several small logs laid perpendicular to the larger tree. The log could then be skidded down the hill on a path made of these smaller logs. Moving large logs uphill is going to be nearly impossible, so make sure you always fell trees into the best position for being moved. 

The sheer difficulty of moving large logs without heavy equipment may necessitate the adoption of building techniques that use shorter, smaller pieces of timber. My friend and former employer lived on the tree line in the mountains of Alaska where most of the timber was on the scrawny side. Never the less, he was able to build a sturdy log cabin with spruce logs that he cut to lengths of  6’ to 12’. If you live in an area with a good snowfall, winter can be the best time to harvest timber, as logs are much easier to drag across the spring’s firm snow pack than the summer’s uneven forest floor. A snow machine (called a snowmobile by you lower 48ers) is excellent for winter timber harvest because they can get to areas inaccessible by wheeled vehicles. A timber sledge for a snow machine is easily constructed by using two long 2x6s as runners, allowing you to haul long logs for cabin ridgepoles and larger structures. Another reason that winter is an ideal time for harvesting timber is that the sap will all be in the roots, meaning there will be less moisture content in the wood, always a consideration for firewood. Spruce and Douglas Fir harvested for cabin logs in the winter will be perfect for peeling in the spring. Often the bark can be removed in large strips using nothing but a hatchet. 

During summer months, you can use trucks and ATVs to harvest timber, vehicles with a winch being especially useful. Using a choker, logs can be dragged out of the woods to the road or trail so that you can pull them to where they are needed. The problem with this is that you will be restricted to only those areas accessible roads and trails. Another primitive way to move timber is with draft animals, giving you a much better option for those hard to reach timber stands. I think for any sort of large scale post-TEOTWAWKI logging, this is going to be the only way to get any real logging done unless fossil fuels are still available. Without machinery and only human power, you will reduced to using only the smallest logs, greatly diminishing the size of structures that can be built. An Alaska mill another possible solution to the problem of moving timber without heavy equipment.This device uses two chainsaws to form a primitive sawmill. With one of these, you can rip felled trees into lumber while still in the woods, allowing you to avoid moving large logs. 

On a closing note, my favorite story from the Hebrew scriptures has always been the story of Gideon, one of Israel's judges. It is a story about faith versus doubt, the importance of watchfulness, and God giving victory to the righteous in the face of overwhelming odds. While doing some research the other day, I was interested to learn that Gideon in Hebrew means "destroyer," "mighty warrior," and also "a faller of great trees." Happy cutting, and stay safe in the woods.       

Preppers get painted is crazy doomsday people, sitting around waiting for the world to end, disappointed when it doesn't.  I think National Geographic has done a disservice to prepping with their show.  The people on the show explain "what" they are preparing for.  To many, their reasons are crazy.  To me, some of the reasons are crazy.  I think it's important to make it clear that it's not about a specific event or cause.  It's about planning for the future and protecting yourself.  Does it really matter if an EMP, financial collapse, or natural disaster disrupts your basic necessities?  What it comes down to is that you need to provide for your own essentials and survival.

Being a prepper is planning for your future, just like investing. When you invest for your retirement, you know you need to diversify your portfolio. You buy stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and gold. You do this because you need to spread your risk. You buy some things that are risky, that you hope will rise in value (stocks), and you buy things with certain intrinsic value that will not decrease (gold). Prepping should be added to your retirement portfolio too.

If you look at the big picture of the economy and the world, you invest your money in the stock market and retirement funds hoping they gain value, and now, hoping they will still be there when you retire. I think it is safe to say there is no guarantee that these assets will be there in the future. With the state of our entitlement programs and Social Security, they will run out of money. What then? Could the government take private assets such as investments? I think there is a chance. It would be easy for the government to say, "We are confiscating everyone's investments and savings to fund Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In doing this, everyone will now be eligible for these benefits." The things that you have based your future security and comfort on, have just been taken. Now you are waiting in lines to get your rations because you didn't prepare.  Like any investment you need to evaluate it based on your situation and beliefs.  Maybe you are an optimist and only want to store enough for a short term emergency and wait until the government is able to come in to help.  This would be like a Hurricane Katrina situation.  Just enough to survive the rough period, then get help from the government.

Now there is some risk that if it gets that bad, the government could say, "You are only allowed to have 1 month of food and 20 gallons of water saved. Give me your extra 3 months of food and 100 gallons of water." But this is much more difficult than just confiscating your money. So look at prepping as part of your retirement portfolio, and start investing in it.
Just as you would set aside a certain percentage of your income for retirement, choose an amount to set aside for prepping.  It doesn't have to be a lot, just prioritize your spending. Food and water first, then purchase the items appropriate for you.  But also think about what others might want; such as alcohol and tobacco.  Maybe you have moral objections to either, but there are many who don't, and many who will want those items.  Think about the Great Depression and Prohibition.  Those with alcohol did pretty well.

The physical items you buy to be prepared can also be handed down from generation to generation.  Now, I know that not everything will last.  But if that can of green beans has been in your basement for 25 years, are you going to throw it away?  Probably not.  You will keep it and eat it when the times comes.  It may not taste the best, but it probably won't kill you.  Your guns, tools, certain foods, bags, tents, etc. can be handed down from too.  There is the potential for them to greatly increase in value as well.  What if the sale of certain guns becomes prohibited?  What could your gun be worth then?  It can be left to your kids, like your investments could, but it would be tax free and provide for their future better than money.  It is also important to teach your kids the importance of prepping.  If they don't value it and invest their own time in it, what you leave to them could be wasted.

Just like your finances and investments, your preps need to be protected.  Where do you keep your supplies?  Are they where guests can see them?  What would happen if your house was lost?  The FDIC insures your assets at a bank up to $250,000, so you shouldn't keep more money in one bank than that limit, or it could be lost.  The same is true for your supplies.  This is where your network could be a great advantage.  Try to diversify your supplies and don't put all your eggs in one basket.

I'm a 30-something civil engineer.  Like many, I've never needed to survive "on my own."  I'm not a survivalist.  I don't go out into the woods for weeks and live alone and practice.  I have a family; I don't have time for those things.  So my prepping portfolio is different than someone in a different situation.
Once your start prepping, it becomes its own portfolio. You have:

• Physical assets/supplies.  These are the things you buy at the store and save.  Food, medicine, water, equipment, guns, ammunition.
• Skills.  Skills are particular abilities you have.  You can have skills without knowledge, and knowledge without skills.  As an engineer, I can design a weld to meet a required shear stress.  That doesn't mean that I could actually complete the weld myself.  People with a skill and no knowledge compensate by "over-designing."  Look at medieval buildings.  They didn't understand the math behind what they built, they just built the hell out of it, and things are still standing today.
• Knowledge.  See above.  You compensate for your lack of skills by doing things "the hard way."  You don't know the "tricks of the trade."
• Resources.  These are the people, skills, and knowledge that you will have at your disposal.  If things get really bad, we will have to work in small communities.  There's no way around it.  You can not possess every skill and resource you need to survive.  You may come close, but there will always be something you are lacking.  You need to know people and have a network.

Take a look at your prepping portfolio and evaluate it.  Could you buy more supplies to compensate for a lack of skills?  Could you study and read more to invest more in your knowledge?  

Think back to when you teachers or parents said "everyone has something they are good at."  Find that thing, and make it an asset.  You may not think it's important, but I guarantee someone will find it important.  For an example, I've designed water treatment systems.  I can determine alum dosing, settlement time, and contact time for disinfection.  I've designed septic systems.  I've designed dams.  That knowledge may seem trivial when everything is fine, but when TSHTF, they could be pretty valuable.  So I would rate the knowledge section of my portfolio pretty high.  But I'm lacking in some of the skills.  I've never had to build those things.  I've never been in a survival situation.  I don't know how to farm.  Objectively evaluate your portfolio.
I've read a lot of disparaging comments about "armchair preppers."  "They just go online, buy some dehydrated food, and say they are preppers."  So what?  Maybe that's all they can do.  I think that should be encouraged.  Those people, "armchair preppers," have many more supplies in their portfolio.  Someone who has skills, but limited money, should include this armchair prepper in their network of resources.  There are factors which will affect your ability to prepare:

• Where you live.  If you live in an apartment in the city, how many 55-gallon barrels of water will you be able to store?  Are you allowed to own a handgun?  An AR-15?  If you live in a rural area, how many houses are near you?  Five within a 50-mile radius?  Where is the doctor? veterinarian? store?  You might be limited to only getting supplies over the Internet if you live in a remote area.
• Physical abilities.  You could be limited by your age, illness, or handicap.
• Finances.  Maybe you are a great craftsman, but you don't have much money to buy supplies.

Get creative.  Look at canning food, for instance.  You don't have to have a garden to can food.  One weekend, prepare a lot of frozen green beans.  Then can them.  It may seem a little pointless, but you've just learned how to can your own food.  A hobby like home beer brewing is a great example.  Many do it and the skills could be very useful.
The point is don't underestimate yourself.  Look at your talents and knowledge differently. Don't get discouraged by an elitist prepper who rants on a web site about "armchair preppers."  They could be the MacGyver of prepping, but they won't have all the skills, supplies, and knowledge needed to accomplish all that is necessary.

Editor's Note: This article first appeared at the Georgia Preppers blog site.

Jim,
That was a nice submission by Tom T., but with a couple of items that aren't completely wrong but aren't entirely correct - or that can at least be interpreted incorrectly.  First,  he said, "The last way to prevent food borne illness is to cook the food to the proper temp.  Cooking to proper temperatures eliminates the threat of these harmful pathogens... Reheating to 165 degrees ensures that the bacteria are killed and the food has become safe to eat." 

Cooking food may eliminate bacteria but it doesn't destroy all bacterial toxins (the stuff that  actually makes you sick).  Staph aureus, for example, can produce a toxin that will withstand cooking and some pasteurization processes.  This means that if you store food in the temperature danger zone Tom mentioned, then even if it is cooked it might still be unsafe.

The second was a suggestion that dented cans are unsafe.  As long as a can isn't dented on a seam (top, bottom or welded side seam) it's fine.   In truth, most cans with minor dents in the areas mentioned are probably fine.  But "they" suggest discarding them, which is probably the wiser choice if there isn't decent medical care available and for children, the elderly and those who are already weakened or sick. Best, - Matt R.

Hi Jim,
While reading the article "Secure Signals for a Survivalist," by Fred J., I keyed on his reference to the lightening-up the good old USGI angle head flashlight.
 
As far as lightening-up one of these, I think I have most people beat. My first upgrade for mine was in replacing the old-fashioned incandescent bulb with an LED bulb upgrade. They're pretty common now, as the Army issue flashlight uses a standard flashlight bulb. That made the flashlight produce literally ten times as much light.
 
The second upgrade was created by sheer luck. In an infant rocker we were keeping for some relatives at our house, I discovered adapters for AA to a D-size cells, allowing you to use AA batteries in a D cell battery compartment! However, since I already had the LED upgrade in my flashlights, I installed these in both of them, and now my Vietnam-era USGI flashlights weigh virtually nothing, producing the same powerful amount of LED light!
 
PS: Hang on to those old incandescent bulbs, as an EMP/CME-rugged backup. They will also still work with the AAs! - Snuffy

Here comes more monetization: Fed Undertakes QE3 With $40 Billion Monthly MBS Purchases. JWR's Comment: Oh great, Mortgage Backed Securities derivatives. Your tax dollars at work, buying up dodgy debt.

Reader G.A.H. was the first of several readers to mention an interesting parallel to the opening chapter of my first novel, Patriots: Germany Says ‘Great Uncertainty’ About US Debt. Here is the proverbial "life imitates art" quote: "German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble questioned on Tuesday how the United States could deal with its high levels of government debt after November's presidential election. In private, German officials often express concern about U.S. debt levels and the inability of politicians there to reach a consensus on how to reduce it, but Schaeuble's public remarks underscore the extent of the worries in Germany."

B.B. sent: Mark Levin: With 19% actual unemployment we are in a depression. And FDR got reelected with high unemployment too

RBS sent: Metal theft suspect caught after truck is stuck

Items from The Economatrix:

US Stock Market Investors Set Up To Be Fleeced, Triple Top?

Oil Drops From 3-Week High On US Fed Meeting, Saudi Arabia

Those Jobless Numbers Are Even Worse Than They Look

Consumer Credit Falls Unexpectedly In July

News from Korea: New Swine Flu Virus Shows Lethal Signs. (A hat tip to Tim P. for the link.)

   o o o

H.L. suggested this at The Daily Crux: How to grow an inconspicuous garden... no matter where you live

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Ready Made Resources is having a special on genuine full mil-spec AN/PVS-14 Gen 3+ night vision scopes. For a limited time they are offering these "grade A" scopes with a free Picatinny rail weapons mount, free shutter eyepiece and free shipping. As usual, these include aa head mount and carry case . These have a five year warranty and free annual maintenance for five years. Normally $3,895, these are on sale for $2,795 with free shipping.

   o o o

F.G. liked the essay Power to the Parasites by Karen De Coster.

   o o o

Stephen M. forwarded this: GHEI: ATF’s latest gun grab--Agency reduces due process for seizing firearms

"If you want to be safe in life, move to places that the government can't be bothered to provide you help in. These places tend to be clean, safe, prosperous, healthy and sane. At least until the government finds out that evil monoculturalists are trying to live this way without them. They insist that areas like this undergo improvamentation as soon as they can afford to get to them." - Texas Arcane

September 13th is the birthday of Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the fledgling nation of South Sudan. Kiir was born in 1951. Please pray for President Kiir and for the people of South Sudan.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

I have heard many preppers talk of the massive food supply that they have.  Some have months supply.  While others have a year plus of food.  All of this food will do no good if it isn't prepared safely.  I have been in the food industry for twenty plus years.  In that time we have all seen the news of the mass explosion of food borne illnesses.  We have seen the recalls of thousands of pounds of beef and the closure of several chains of restaurants.  In a SHTF scenario I doubt we will be living in the best of conditions and using commercial ovens and ranges.  I doubt we would even have an electric George Foreman grill.  Instead we will be cooking old school, by fire or some type of portable camping propane stove.  We could be preparing our meals in the foot hills of the mountains or some dirty ransacked dwelling that should be condemned.  Any way you slice it, no matter where we cook we must prepare our food safely.  According to the CDC every year 76 million people are infected with some type of food poisoning in the U.S. alone.  Of those 5,000 people die every year to these related symptoms.  The most affected are the young, the old and the ones with compromised immune systems.  Where do these illnesses come from? I'm glad you asked. Food borne illness comes from drinking beverages or eating food that is contaminated with bacteria, parasites or viruses.   Food borne illnesses have a variety of symptoms.  These symptoms include upset stomach, diarrhea, fever, confusion, abdominal cramps, dehydration and even death.  One or more of these symptoms could be a death sentence in a SHTF scenario.  With the lack of medications and diagnosis from a doctor you could be in serious trouble.  Imagine if you cooked a wild game bird for dinner and your entire family got ill.  Who would tend to them?  Who would continue the daily chores needed to survive?  Who will protect them from invaders?  It is not a pretty thought. The treatment to remedy most of the symptoms is to drink plenty of fluids and keep your electrolytes up and wait it out for a few days. However, sometimes dialysis or a blood transfusion is needed.  Kinda tough to do in a SHTF world unless you are a skilled doctor with access to the equipment needed. Here is a list of some of the most common types of pathogens that cause food poisoning:

Salmonella -caused by under cooked poultry or eggs.  The symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.
E coli-caused by under cooked meats. Symptoms are bloody diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and possible death.
Botulinum-caused by improperly canned goods, smoked or salted fish.  The symptoms are double vision, inability to swallow, inability to breath, difficulty speaking.
Vulnificus- caused by raw and undercooked shell fish. The symptoms are chills, fever and collapse.
Shigella and Staphylococcus-cause raw foods, unpasteurized milk and dairy products.  The symptoms are nausea, fever, abdominal cramping and diarrhea.
 
First lets talk about where food borne illness comes from.  Food borne illness comes from a variety of things.  It can occur in produce during the growing, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping or preparation.  In raw meat it can occur in the slaughter of the animal.  It can occur in eggs as well.  In fact one in every 10,000 eggs contains Salmonella.  It can also come from the contaminated fertilizer or the water that is used to grow the food.  Food can also become inedible by being left out for to long in warm temperatures. This is what we call the food danger zone.  The food danger zone is the temperature of food between 40 and 140 degrees.  In these danger zones bacteria multiplies rapidly.  In two hours you could be eating a BFD (bacteria filled dish).  The contamination is almost impossible to detect because it doesn't produce an odor nor does it change the color or texture of the food.  There are several ways to prevent this.  The first is to control the time and temperature which the food is in the danger zone temps.  If food starts to enter the danger zone try to bring the temperature down to the safe level ASAP, below 40 degrees. Second is to sanitize the area, your hands and utensils you are using. 

Bleach is a great cheap sanitizer. a single cap full can go a long way to killing harmful bacteria.  Never touch a raw product and then a cooked product. This can cause cross-contamination.  Always sanitize when switching to different food  products and utensils.  Latex or vinyl gloves are a great item to put in your bug out bag.  The last way to prevent food borne illness is to cook the food to the proper temp.  Cooking to proper temperatures eliminates the threat of these harmful pathogens.  The easiest way to test for the correct temp is a food thermometer.  These can be picked up just about anywhere for $8-$15.  I must advise that getting a non digital one would be best unless you have a stock pile of batteries for it.  Who knows how hard it could be to find batteries in the SHTF world. 

One thing about food thermometers they must be calibrated regularly, and whenever you drop them.  It is very easy to do, no tools required.  Either use the ice and water method or the boiling water method.  The ice method is the quickest and easiest.  The ice method is get a cup of room temp water and ice. Stir very well.  Just as the ice begins to melt place your thermometer in the water. the water should cover the small dimple in the rod. (that is the actual temperature reader).  Let it stand for 30 seconds or until the dial stops moving.  Your thermometer should read 32 degrees.  If it does not turn the nut at the base until it reads 32 degrees. Don't worry it comes with the tool to do it.  It is the sheath itself. The boil method is virtually the same.  Bring water to a rolling boil place the thermometer into the water for thirty seconds or until the dial stops moving.  It should read 212 degrees.  If not, then adjust the nut.  In either case be sure not to touch the container the water is in as you will get a false reading.  If you forget how to do these simple steps, the directions will be on the box of the thermometer and it literally takes 30 seconds.  Next, always reheat food to at least 165 degrees.  Reheating to 165 degrees ensures that the bacteria are killed and the food has become safe to eat.  When you are done eating place left-overs in a shallow pan and cool as quickly as possible.  Stir if it is necessary.  If a fridge or cooler is not available try using an ice cold creek.  The water will lower the temp of the food quickly.  In the food industry we use an ice bath.  This is fifty percent ice and fifty percent water.  It works rather well.   

Here is the proper cooking temps for various food products.
beef, pork and veal=160
turkey and poultry=165
seafood=145
eggs cook until yolk and whites are firm

Always keep raw foods separate from cooked foods.  The juices from the raw foods can contain harmful organisms that can ruin and contaminate all of your survival food.  If you do have a way to store food, store it like this from top to bottom.

1. Cooked foods
2. Fruits and vegetables
3. Fish and seafood
4. Beef and pork
5. Ground beef
6. Poultry. 

The reason it is stored like this is do to the various degrees you cook these items to make it a safe eating experience.  You can eat a med rare stake but not a med rare chicken leg.  Chicken needs to be cooked to a higher temp then beef to kill all of the organisms. If it was stored backwards chicken blood gets on the beef.  you would make your steak med rare and not kill the chicken bacteria and could get very ill.

In the event of a power outage situation keep all refrigerators and freezers closed.  A closed refrigerator has about 4 hours of cold in it.  A freezer has about 48 hours of cold if it is full.  If it is half full combine all of the food together so that it will remain colder longer.  A half full freezer only has 24 hours of coldness.   Open the doors only when necessary.  If the food reaches the danger zone either cook it or discard it.  You or your family's health is not worth the risk. If you end up scrounging for  food in a post SHTF world there are a few things to look for to ensure that what you gather is not contaminated.  Always go for the commercially packed food if it is available(as they are held to higher standards then mom and pop are).  Any canned good with broken seams, dents or leaks is ruined. Move on and don't bother.  Any crack in a jar is just as dangerous and can contain harmful bacteria.  All items that are found should be kept in it's container and immersed in a solution of bleach (2 teaspoons of chlorine bleach per quart of water) for fifteen minutes.  Make sure that the water is room temp. Regardless if the SHTF or not (I pray to god not), we must all be aware of how to prepare our meals safely and soundly. Proper sanitation,cleanliness and cooking procedures affect each and everyone of us everyday. In a TEOTWAWKI situation this is even more so. Everyday our lives and those we love depends on proper food preparation. For more info on food safety please visit www.cdc.gov  www.fda.gov  www.foodsafety.gov They have a vast selection of information on this topic.  The statistics used here were obtained from these sites.

I spent nearly ten years in the Coast Guard and the US Navy before injuries suffered in the line of duty forced my retirement, this is but one experience in my life that forced me to be a better man and come to grips with the fragile mortality of man and just how precious the gift of life really is. These are the teachings that have prepared me for what is coming. The horizon darkens more every day and the storm approaches. Are we prepared for the coming storm, can we weather it out. I live on 80 acres in south eastern Oregon and have for many years been preparing for what is coming. Heirloom seeds, stocks of dry goods, knowledge in man & animal trapping, combat both bush and open ground plus survival skills, canning, jerky making, smoking meats, fishing and hunting skills. I am nearly 60 years of age and I am trying to get a community of like minded people together for a community that is determined to survive no matter how bad it gets.
 
Survival at sea:  The worst storm I have ever seen!
     
After six years in the United States Coast Guard and having been stationed at many small boat rescue stations in the 1st Coast Guard District of Northern New England from Jonesport, Maine to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, New Bedford, Massachusetts, Race Point Small Boat Station, Cape Cod, Massachusetts & serving the crews of Cleveland Ledge Light House near Buzzards Bay Massachusetts. I had the distinct honor of serving with some extraordinarily selfless and at times insanely brave individuals while participating in 300 plus rescues at sea. After all the times involved in high risk rescue operations at sea I thought I had a pretty good idea of the worst weather the oceans of the world could offer.
 
In the summer of 1976 while aboard the United States Coast Guard Cutter Bibb, WHEC 31 I was also exposed to a near Hurricane, (hurricane force winds are 72 plus miles per hour) in the Bermuda Triangle. The seas raged at 35 to 45 feet for 24 hours and it was estimated at 65 feet for 6 to 8 hours. The storm lasted for a day and a half with winds in excess of 114 miles per hour. The Bibb was an old girl with 34 years active sea service to her credits. She was originally built in the early 1930s as a Sub-chaser in preparation for a war that inevitably spanned the entire globe. She suffered some damaged but got the entire crew back to Corpus Christi , Texas for repairs without any loss of life. This was my baptism by fire as for deep water storms at sea; and I had thought it had prepared me for what ever nature could throw my way, my oh my how I was ever so mistaken;   
 
It is midnight and the weather has turned foul. Our ship is anchored in channel on the side nearest to the city of Hong Kong and has been for three days. Dozens of freighters and tankers lie off shore waiting to either take on cargo or off load their cargo before heading off to some distant port unknown to the rest of us. The mighty storm has been building power for weeks in the far reaches of the South Pacific around the Solomon Islands . The warning came from Pacific Fleet Headquarters in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in conjunction with the Naval Offices of Her Majesty's Royal Navy, Hong Kong, China. The Captain says, “We must weigh anchor and head for the open waters of the South China Sea. There is no way we will be able to maneuver in the tight channel waters of the bay between the mainland of China and the Island home of Hong Kong .”
 
The Engine Room is firing up the boilers and making steam to get under way. All hands have been recalled from Liberty in an attempt to save the ship. Deck hands are washing the mud off the anchor chain with fire hoses as the anchor is hauled aboard. The radars are checked as well as the radios and the harbor master’s boat ties up to the starboard side. A Harbor Pilot will take the fat girl out of the channel then he will return Command to the Captain. The Officer of the Deck turns and tells the Captain, “All bells answering; Engine Rooms answers ready to get under way, Sir.”
 
He replies, “Very well, all ahead 1/3.”
 
From there the Harbor Pilot is in control as he weaves a path between tiny islands and some of the largest vessels to ever sail the open seas of the world while they themselves made their preparations for departure. Military ships come first in the line of succession in departure under duress, and this was certainly a case of duress. Military Ships are always first because they carry so much fuel and a lot explosives; which inherently could make a very bad situation even worse. All the bigger ships left Hong Kong to weather out the storm at sea. While some of the smaller ones decided that they could make for the small islands and seek protection by ducking in behind them and riding out the storm. Unfortunately they were wrong.
 
This storm is big, really big; about 300,000 square miles and the winds are incredible. Worst of all it is on a collision course with the harbor of Hong Kong which is home to the floating city of 100,000 + just a few miles up river. A human being would stand no chance if exposed to the unbelievable ferocity of these winds. They would be swept off the deck immediately even if they were tied down. In fact these winds are so powerful that they are actually capable of breaking stanchions and davits from the welds that attach them to the decks. Slowly the big girl known as the Wicked Witch of the West gets under way. The clanking of the anchor chain echoes through the hull and we all know what lies ahead. Danger, the worst danger a ship of this type can face. Liquid cargos are highly unstable in high seas. Liquids contained within a vessel tend to move with the seas and gain in momentum within the hull and that poses a threat to the integrity of the hull and the crew.
 
Time passes slowly as we head into open waters and begin to head north. It is a long way to Pearl Harbor from Hong Kong and we have to remain in front of this storm all the way or it is pretty much a foregone conclusion as to where we will make or next landfall. The running joke aboard ships is that, “Land is never more than 12 miles away, but that is 12 miles straight down.” As impossible as it may seem the storm is still building in its intensity as it approaches the Philippines . It makes landfall and thousands are drowned and entire villages swept away on the low-lying portions of the Island Nation.
 
We are now faced with being over taken by the storm; … my tired burning eyes strain and my sweating hands ache. I fiercely grip the wheel to keep my balance and stare into the raging blackness of the storm. Winds in excess of 165 nautical miles per hour rip at the ship. The screams and howls of the wind as it passes through the rigging's chill the blood. Big and lethargic, she lies hard over and hangs for a split second. I look behind me at the inclinometer, 40 degrees starboard list. I draw a sharp breath and hold it. My eyes flare wide open. Even the Old-man knows we are at her limits. At 42 degrees she will go over, capsized. 
     
The seas relentlessly slamming against the superstructure stun the 42,000 ton Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship the U. S. S. Wichita. For a split second, what seems like forever to her crew. She stops dead in the water, each 65 foot wall of seawater, weighing in at some million tons of wind-swept Pacific Ocean crashes against the bridge. Solid water rolls off the bridge wings cascading down the side of the ship along the Weather Deck and returns to the black and white angry monster known as a typhoon. Courage is the key to surviving in a typhoon, if one man panics the ship could be lost at sea with all hands.
 
As each wave slams against the ship and she shudders and creaks, men sit in tense silence. Their faces knotted with deep concern, chills run up the spine. Thoughts of home and prayers to their loving God. Even the old timers look blankly at the over head and wonder is she going to break up? Is this the last time I will think of my Wife, my children, or my parents. Will they find my body and send it home? Then all hands brace for another fall into the trough of these merciless seas. 689 feet of ship, 13 million gallons of diesel and jet fuel, 800 tons of food and explosives, and of course the 381 souls contained within the hull fall helplessly and slam against the flat bottom of the trough between the waves.
 
The crashing thunder of the waves is near deafening, the ship twists and groans; she sidles her way up from beneath the wave only to be savagely assaulted by the next wave in an endless sea of waves. Day after day we creep along, battered and exhausted the crew tries desperately to keep their spirits up. And sometimes, we actually broke free for a few hours and a hot meal was served. Then we are overtaken by this super storm that now covers nearly a half a million square miles of empty ocean, and every man aboard makes his peace with God.
 
"Lord God almighty, if I get out of this alive I swear I will be a better man, I will be a better Father to my children. Please God don't let my life end this way."

This is my way of telling you the story of the intensity in life of an every day sailor, that storm lasted for 25 days. My ship left Hong Kong and sailed for the Aleutian Islands of Alaska some 8,000 miles away to make good our escape. 12,000 people and more than a dozen ships were not as fortunate as the crew of the Wichita and I were. Without a doubt that was the longest and most intense month of my life.

James,
Allen is right on about "arm chair" preppers. Many folks out there only talk the talk, without taking the walk.
 
Like Allen, I did not marry until my mid-40s also agreeing to live near a small community. The drive to my retreat is 42 miles to a fairly rural farm area when I grew up. My wife supports me wholeheartedly in this effort including participating where she can in learning new skills.
 
Over the last 8 years, I have been re-learning many of my boyhood skills critical to a rural lifestyle. It is amazing how much a person forgets over 30 years. I had many successes and just as many if not more failures. We are now just at the point where we can grow and preserve much of our food requirements. This is not an easy task!!
 
Along the way, my wife and daughter learned new skills along with me, including how to properly handle a weapon and became proficient in shooting to the point where it is an enjoyable family event.
 
I would point out, Allen C. does not take into account individual/public irrationality when disasters happen. While his examples may hold true during normal times, when the shtf all normalcy ceases to exist. Folks will do things without thinking or even any reason. Looting and hoarding will become the norm.
 
As far as the numbers go, he is missing the point. It really does not matter that 82% of the population or 90% will die within a couple of months/years from results of EMP.  The point is that large numbers of people will die creating new problems such as loss of expertise, sanitary issue from unburied corpses, etc...  I would think if even 10% of the population did not survive, it would be a major health issue. Bottom line is the people living would not be prepared to handle such a major event without prior planning and preparation. - George B. in Ohio

James,
I would like to bring a correction to Allen C.'s comment about the food supply in grocery stores. Just a couple of months ago my wife left the Northwest division on the largest grocery chain in the United States. She had worked in the food department for 15 years including several years in food department management. When she started her employment the company's business model was no more than 3 days of food inventory on hand based on sales at that location. The current business model calls for food inventory on hand of 1.5 days based on current store sales. In 2009 near Christmas poor weather prevented the store from receiving deliveries for a few days. Without any kind of crisis or panic the store shelves were empty after less than two days. The store where she worked receives no less than four full 53' trailers of inventory per day - unless they send more. This does not include product brought in by dozens of outside vendors seven days per week. This store was just one of several grocery stores serving a middle sized town of less than 75,000 people. I urge everyone to do what you can now to stock up on food staples with a long shelf life. When more difficult times come - and they are coming, you do not want to be compelled to make a rush to the store to try and buy what may be left. - Steve J.

Dear Sirs,
Normally I would be happy to let someone rant, get their frustrations off their chest and not feel it is necessary to address errors.  But, in the recent article by Allen C. there is a deeply flawed assessment of the grocery store inventory control that I believe needs to be corrected lest readers are led astray.

In basic principle, Mr. C. is correct regarding inventory turnover rates of the average grocery store.  Most financial assessments put the turnover rate at around 12, meaning that they keep roughly 1 month of their yearly revenue in inventory.  However, what Mr. C. fails to appreciate is the how the numbers break down.  Grocery stores don’t manage their inventory as a whole:  they manage each product individually based on the just-in-time [inventory control] premise to minimize their capital outlay.  What that means is that there is significant financial incentive for the store to keep on hand only enough inventory to get them through to the next delivery.  Modern shipping typically averages 3 days from distribution to point of sale, hence grocery stores typically look to maintain roughly 3 days inventory of their high turnover products.  Its not 3 days for all products, but 3 days for the highest turnover rate products.  What store wants to have excess days of a product when they sell 100 units a day.  Are they going to maintain 2,500 units in the store?  Of course not.

So how do these two numbers square up?   This is due to other business drivers that a store may face.  They cannot just maintain stock of commonly used items.  To attract customers to their store and provide one-stop shopping they need to inventory and maintain a wide range of rarely purchased items.  Even ignoring non-food items (cookware, bags, personal care, etc) one just needs to look at the snack food aisles.  How many different brands, flavors, and types of potato chips are kept in inventory?  Many of them only sell a couple bags a month.  This could lead a store to just have 1 bag of each on the shelf, but this is very poor promotion and the suppliers would not be happy.  They want their product to appear to be in demand so, through supply arrangements and deals, a grocery store is incentivized to maintain inventories of these specialty items far and above just-in-time inventory levels.  There are well over six months of inventory of many of these specialty products on the store shelves.  In fact many stores struggle with getting turnover rates of these items to be shorter than the shelf life and are often faced with disposing of expired goods.  This is why they have sales on certain items after all.  

Ironically, the in-demand, high use items tend to have the least inventory levels on hand.  These are often the items that appeal to the broadest customer base, like the most basic of food items.  For instance, busy stores will know exactly how many bags of flour they need to maintain from years of tracking data and experience.  It’s the low use items that radically skew the overall inventory numbers.  In a situation that disrupts delivery, the shelves of common items will empty in just a couple days even without panic buying.  What will be left are the bags of avocado-chili-fireball waffle cut potato chips and organic port-wine whole seed mustard, but even so this may only mean a dozen each for the total store customer base of hundreds or thousands.  Even with hundreds of these types of items, it’s not going to feed the populace for very long at all.

I can’t say if 3 days inventory is the best number to use for this type of consideration, but I hope I’ve clarified that it is most definitely not 25 days.  Anyone in storm-prone areas of the irrational mid-atlantic has already experienced this during winter storm alerts.  Milk, bread, and eggs quickly disappear entirely from the shelves.  This isn’t even panic buying.  This is just pre-buying for folks who are afraid they won’t be able to get to the store for a few days.  Even if there is other food on the shelves I shudder to think of the societal reaction when the milk and bread is gone and the next shipment time is unknown. ‘ Let them eat waffle chips’, isn’t going to go over too well I suspect.

I agree with Mr. C that many bits of accepted knowledge need to be critically assessed and re-assessed as needed, but in this instance his analysis is quite flawed.
 
Sincerely, - Mike P. 

I greatly enjoyed reading the letter forwarded by Allen C.  It mirrored many of my own thoughts, mostly not vocalized, that I have had about other "preppers."  I do not like the generalization implied in the word, itself, for it establishes a bias either for or against a whole group of people who seem decidedly different.
 
It brought to mind the much-repeated phrase among preppers: "like-minded individuals."  Now, having met face-to-face with a number of other people who are concerned about uncertain times and are preparing in one way or another for those eventualities, I found that huge differences exist in the ways of going about this task and the philosophies surrounding it.  Thus, to put out an advertisement to join "like-minded individuals" in the "prepper community" is, in my view, about like making the same exhortation to a group of professional football fans on the assumption that they are "like minded,"  when all they have done is to root for the same team that we do.
 
On the subject of paranoia, Allen repeats the oft-used phrase: “I wouldn't be so paranoid if everyone wasn't out to get me.”  This reminded me of a meeting I had in a public place with a few other local preppers whom I "met" on an online prepper network.  These were supposedly like-minded individuals, who, during the course of the meeting appealed to those present to provide their addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses for the purpose of networking, "early warning,"  passing the news, etc.  Of course, I found this proposal astoundingly foolish, and said so.  I was accused of being overly paranoid.  Are there degrees of paranoia?  Anyway, I refused to provide such information to complete strangers, and chalked down having talked myself into such a meeting of this kind to my own foolishness. There are few enough "like minded individuals" within a tightly knit family, or even in a pretty tight military unit, much less in the population at large.  People should dispense with the notion that such a fantasy exists.
 
Concerning Allen's frustration with preppers being "know-it-alls," this statement particularly rang true to me:  "Later the same evening suburban grandma is in a user group regurgitating a half digested piece of prepper knowledge she picked up on another web site without ever having to actually fight anyone, kill anything, or spend a week in the woods."
This brought to mind the image of my teenaged grandson, who, while very bright and seemingly able to absorb any sort of material that he reads, or hears, or sees on TV, has a terrible habit, in my view, of saying "I know...." such-and-such.  I have repeatedly reminded him that he does not "know" anything, nor does anyone else, unless he or she has actually done it or experienced it.  Reading about, talking about, or listening to others who read about, talk about, or otherwise expound on any subject does not constitute a reason to say to oneself: "I know."  There is only one way to "know," in my opinion, at least, and that is to know by the experience of doing.  One does not know how to fell a tree, slice it up with a chain saw, haul it, split it, and stack it, much less burn it, unless one has done it.
 
And Allen's comments further lead me into the frustration I have with preppers who are constantly writing on various blogs a presumption of what "will" happen under certain circumstances, such as a societal collapse.  Zombie biker gangs will roam the countryside, stores will be out of food in hours, gasoline will be unattainable, .22 caliber cartridges will be like gold, etc.  Some of these events might be likely to happen, of course, but for anyone to say beforehand, and in the absence of any evidence, whatsoever, that they "know" what will happen is ludicrous.  No one actually knows what will happen until it happens. Detractors have said "history repeats itself," so we can take from history that we actually do know what will happen.  But we really can't.  We know there is a likelihood of a similar event happening again, human nature being a constant through time, but we still do not know what "will" happen in a given event that takes place in the present times.  
 
In the popular literature, there is only one person whom I can say (because I haven't read everything, to be sure) actually knows about what it's like in an economic collapse.  He is Fernando Aquirre, who, in his book about the collapse in Argentina (2001-present), relates what he actually saw and did in that country during that collapse.  What we have in the American literature on the subject, as entertaining as it is to read, is fictional speculation.  Some of it substitutes well for instruction and even education, and reflects what appears to be very good research, but it is still fiction, causing one to caution oneself, once again, the "no one knows for sure what will happen."  Examples of such works that I have read and enjoyed include the novels Patriots (Rawles), Lights Out (Crawford), One Second After (Forstchen), Holding Their Own (Joe Nobody), Apocalypse Law (Grit), Feathers on the Wings of Hate (Grit), Enemies Domestic and Foreign (Bracken trilogy), The Pulse (S. Williams), The Rift (W. Williams), American Apocalypse (Nova), Lucifer's Hammer, (Niven and Pournelle), Ashfall (Mullen), Molon Labe (B. T. Party), The Old Man and the Wasteland (Cole), World Made by Hand (Kunstler), The Third Revolution (Lewis), Half Past Midnight (Brackett) and Dark Grid (Waldron), among a few others.  There are yet many that I haven't read.  Yes, I do love reading these books.  But they cannot say, and do not purport to say, what will happen, as do so many whom we see writing on the blogs.  
 
Yet, in spite of our differences, we continue to prepare because it seems wise to do so, even though we are not really sure of anything in the future except more uncertainty.  However, I do feel that preparation is more of a lifelong challenge than one that can be accomplished in even a few years.  Some people have had a "survivalist" mindset since childhood, and so "prepping" is second nature to them.  As Allen (and my father) says, they don't even call it that.   It just seems a way of life, indistinguishable from other often-practiced habits.
 
Further, Allen's letter got me to thinking of a Persian proverb, which led me into thinking of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
 
“He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool - shun him.
He who knows not and knows that he knows not is simple - teach him.
He who knows and knows not that he know is asleep - wake him.
He who knows and knows that he knows is wise - follow him.” - (Persian proverb).

Dunning-Kruger Effect:
According to studies published in 1999 by Dunning and Kruger, there is a difference between what we know and what we think we know. People are notoriously bad at rating their own competence at a whole variety of tasks.
 
Dunning and Kruger found that people who were not very good at a subject also tended to lack the skill to rate themselves at that subject. Such people often figured that the limited information they had about the subject was all there was to know, and that they were consequently more knowledgeable than the average. Hence we are skeptical when we read of so many "experts" on so many subjects on so many blogs.  Take, for example, the case of a "rifleman" who espouses that it is futile to learn for himself or to teach others how to hit targets at 500 yards, arguing that his 250 yard carbine (e.g. AK/AR) will do all that needs doing.  Well, the ignorance extant in such a statement is near to astounding.  Assuming that a majority of our foes are not riflemen, but carbine-men, would it not be wise to prepare to hit them outside of the maximum useful (lethal) range of their own weapons?  But raising such a point in public (Internet) conversation is akin to banging one's head repeatedly against a brick wall and asking for a great argument, considering all of the opposing views on that subject.  There do seem to be a plethora of people who know not, and know not that they know not.  They might retort that I am one of them.
 
Dunning and Kruger also found that people who really were quite knowledgeable about a subject tended to underestimate their ability, perhaps because they knew enough to be aware of how much more there was to know.
Further, they refer to a "double curse" when interpreting their findings: People fail to grasp their own incompetence, precisely because they are so incompetent. And since, overcoming their incompetence would first require the ability to distinguish competence from incompetence, people get stuck in a vicious cycle.
But one need not be obsessed with Dunning and Kruger.  The same effect can be seen in other writings.  Perhaps a few preppers will read this before posting their next expert "knowledge" to a web blog.

Charles Darwin:  "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge."

1 Corinthians 8:2,  King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
"And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know."

Bertrand Russell: "One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision.".

Regards, - T.D.

Dear JWR:
I have read the previous thoughts on this and I see someone has mentioned several different breeds. I would like to add for those considering a dog to also consider Great Pyrenees. These dogs have the very thick double coats that protect them from attacks, are well known for their ability to take down bears and mountain lions when kept in packs, and are some of the best herd dogs on Earth. If you are wanting to breed them you will have to get the dogs about two years before you are expecting to have pups as generally giant breeds do not get pregnant before that time frame. I have a small amount of each chicken, rabbit, cattle, swine, goat, lamb, and cats and these dogs allow the "herd" to literally crawl all over them. Now these dogs will be much more inclined to bark. I happen to prefer the barking because it alerts me. Although this breed is large and intimidating, my dogs have never bitten anything. This breed is very independent and takes no training to teach them to guard. If you prefer a more obedient dog, Great Pyrenees may not be for you. I prefer them because they require no training, and work nonstop. There is little to no worry that they will get me sued. Mine do well in one of the warmest states in the country and are built for extreme colds also. The double coats allow them to thrive in either environment. They can be from 150 to 200 lbs full grown and do eat quite a bit. I keep my cost of feeding them down by giving them all the scraps from the household, and a gallon or more of fresh dairy milk each day. You will need to either teach them their boundaries by a regular schedule of walking the perimeter of the area you want them to guard or by putting up some sort of boundary markers, unless you want them to feel free to guard everything in sight. Since I see my herd of animals as key to my survival, I did not think rottweilers, doberman pinchers, or American bulldogs were good choices.

As a side note, I did want to mention that if you are on well water and hooked into the grid, you can have a hand pump attached on your existing electric pump to pump water by hand if the grid goes down. Some of these new hand pumps claim to be able to pump water as far as 300 feet in an emergency and regularly from a depth of up to 200 ft. And a note about fences......in very flat treeless remote locations, a fence can be as much a view block as it can be a trespasser hindrance. I think everyone should consider their location and circumstances when choosing what to do. I find in my situation a fence would actually give a possible intruder a way to get close to my house without being seen. Whereas without the fence there is not a house or tree or anything else to block my view for miles around, so it really is not worth the expense. One of the things I keep is a DVR full of our favorite movies because I suspect either cable would not be available or I would not be able to afford it. If you have scrap metal around from things you have done to improve your SHTF plan make sure to not throw them away. Scrap metal is at an all time high right now. I keep a huge trailer to keep trash metal on and scrap it every so often. In a TEOTWAWKI situation, everything is worth something. - Pat P.

Reader and loyal content contributor F.J. recommended this: When, Not If, Inflation Returns

K.P. liked this article: Real Wealth, Gold, and Why Government May Want You on Food Stamps

Peter Schiff: The Only Way To Fix The Economy Is To Let It Fail

Items from The Economatrix:

The Canadian Housing Bubble Nears Implosion

Jobs Data Show US Factories Bearing Brunt of Slowdown

S&P 500 Rallies to Highest Since 2008 on Stimulus Bets

Miss In U.S. Payrolls Spurs Talk of New Fed Stimulus

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog's Editor at Large) mentioned: Slingshots in the Roman Empire? (Joerg is still experimenting.)

   o o o

Reader F.J. sent this grim prediction: Complex Systems Theorists Predict We're About One Year From Global Food Riots

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K.A.F. suggested this British television series: The Wartime Kitchen & Garden

   o o o

H.L. liked the 52 weeks of preparedness lessons provided by ReadyNutrition.com

"Labor was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things.  It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased." - Adam Smith

Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

I may as well go ahead and apologize to anyone who is already offended by my title without apologizing for offending you.  I do not actually hate preppers.  I'm just fed up with them.  While I'm at it I may as well apologize for generalizing.  I don't like putting labels on anyone any more than I like being labeled, but it is necessary to generalize in this case so if you consider yourself in one group, but the other better describes you then I accept that in advance.  If it sounds like I apologize a lot it is because I do.  Survivalists being antisocial in nature, I sometimes say things that are inappropriately blunt and get criticism for doing so.  You may disagree that I distinguish between the two, so let's defer to an objective third party on the differences.  Popular Mechanics magazine did a fair job of explaining it:

Preppers call themselves Preppers, in part, to distinguish themselves from survivalists, a term that conjures up images of a paranoid loner hiding out in a cabin.  The Preppers focus on reaching out to other people, and they are avid social networkers. They share tips on things like canning, Port-a-Potties, and other useful skills to have for natural disasters. And they say the effort does not stem from fear. "It's encouraging, uplifting," insists Janet Liebsch, a dedicated prepper, who, along with her husband, publishes guides like It's a Disaster. "Once you start learning, you get addicted."

If you are a survivalist you may have already asked yourself why in the world anyone would want a Port-a-Potty.  You may also be thinking “I wouldn't be so paranoid if everyone wasn't out to get me.” I know I am.  I'm that paranoid loner hanging out in the woods.  At least I was before I got married in my forties and started a family.  I was first labeled a survivalist by local authorities in the 1980s and it was a pretty lonely twenty years so I was originally excited about the blossoming of the prepper movement, but after meeting hundreds of them I must admit I am disappointed.  Here are some reasons why.  

Preppers Are Presumptuous      
The prepper movement has boomed in the last few years and I must admit I resent being lumped in with the suburban grandma who goes online in the morning and orders some MREs, a can of bear spray, and a Gold Eagle coin.  In the afternoon she plants a container garden and fills some soda bottles with water. Viola, she's a prepper and despite the fact that I have done none of those things apparently I am too because prepper equals survivalist.  If it says so on Wikipedia it must be true.  At least that is apparently the mantra.  The fact that I am willing to have an online discussion with her does not make us the same.  To a lessor extent preppers are also attempting to also envelop homesteaders. But that's a discussion for another day. 

It has been said that to a man with a hammer every problem is a nail.  I found this to be especially true in Prepperdom.  First they assume that because they “woke up” and “saw the writing” on the wall they are now supernaturally endowed to survive what is coming.  They also think those who do not possess that one piece of prepper gear they hold most dear will be beating on the doors of the ark while they sit smugly inside watching the water rise.  The truth is there are a lot of people who do not own a gun, a bug-out-bug, or have anywhere to go who are going to feed on preppers like piranha.  For example, my home state recently rewrote laws to allow early release of nonviolent offenders.  These are felons who either did not get caught committing violent crimes or was not charged for them as part of a plea agreement.  Whether they committed them is a question of debate, but I know for sure they have mingled with those who have for years.  I visit one such person with whom I attended high school, but is now in prison and he tells me about post-release crime plans he did not have before he went in.  Although felony convictions prevent them from legally owning a firearm, it will not keep them from dispatching a prepper on the way to the Port-a-Potty and taking theirs.  The motivated ones have already downloaded a list of suspected preppers in their area from ARRL.org.    

Preppers Are Know-It-Alls
Later the same evening suburban grandma is in a user group regurgitating a half digested piece of prepper knowledge she picked up on another web site without ever having to actually fight anyone, kill anything, or spend a week in the woods.  Since most of those repeating these tidbits have not actually tried them, the knowledge usually changes a little like the party game where you whisper a secret in someone's ear who passes it down the line until the last person says it out loud to see how much it changed.  Sometimes it changes a lot.  As I will show later the belief the average grocery store carries only three days worth of food is one example.  It is a corruption of the valid opinion that store shelves would empty within three days of a trigger event.   

A recent volley with a prepper is the one that pushed me over the edge. I've met hundreds of preppers online, individually, and at conferences, but this short exchange was the straw that broke the camel's back prompting me to blow off three preppers in the anonymous “let's meet for coffee” pipeline and stop developing lopsided relationships with people I would not want to help me build a shed.  As with most tipping points, it was about something small.  It was about not being online on the weekend because I am at the retreat.  I agreed to move to town when I got married and since I get to keep all my stuff the price of having a great wife and family is worth the hour drive from the national forest.  It went  something like this:

(Me) High speed Internet is unavailable at my retreat location. I can't even get cell phone service unless I hike to the top of the mountain and then only digital roam text messaging.
(Them) {Immediately} Satellite works everywhere.
(Another Guy) Sometimes terrain or trees get in the way.
(Them) {Immediately} #^@#snet works ANYWHERE. Their web site says so. 
(Me) I'm in the North side of a mountain covered with trees.
(Them) {Immediately} Cut down some trees.
(Me) I'm not in some subdivision where my homeowner's association can force the rancher that owns the top of the mountain to cut a swath of fifty foot trees so #^@#snet can site in my dish at an 80 degree elevation because there would still be a mountain in the way.

This is a harmless example, but he could have just as easily been giving advice on food storage, how to treat a gunshot wound, or any number of possible life-and-death circumstances.  If there is only one ill consequence of the prepper movement it is the avalanche of inexperienced people giving advice in users groups when their only qualification is that they read something similar elsewhere on the net. 

Preppers Are Gullible
No where have I seen this more prevalent than in predicting the timing of total collapse.  Many preppers are disciples of nationally known doomsayers who have been predicting since at least 1999 that we are six months away from anarchy.  When confronted with the obvious they sometimes revert to the argument that collapse has already come.  I wish that were true because having hit rock bottom we could start rebuilding.  The economy may be held up like a horizontal mine shaft about to collapse, but when we run out of bread and circuses these preppers will see what total collapse really looks like.  The different federal agencies who are stocking up on ammunition are going to need it.

I have lost count of how many preppers I've heard from over the last three years who knew someone who knew someone in some branch of intelligence that had inside knowledge of pending collapse.  In one particular case I replied to the email several months later pointing out they had been worrying for nothing.  The sender immediately shot back that the original message only said SOON.  Apparently SOON is not necessarily within the same year.  She wants to meet with me personally. I told her we will get together SOON.       

Preppers Lack Critical Thinking Skills
Critical thinking is a type of reasonable, reflective thinking that is aimed at deciding what to believe or what to do.  Preppers want to believe the worst to justify expenditures of time and money.  Since this diagnosis in not one preppers will accept without proof, check for yourself to see if you blindly accepted a couple of the more popular prepper myths currently circulating:

Government Study on EMP: 90% Would Be Dead
Grocery Stores Only Carry 3 Days Worth of Food

Neither of those are true and despite the fact that I can prove it preppers with whom I discussed these myths were so adamant about believing the worst that they completely lost their critical thinking skills. My experience was similar to when I worked with shock victims at accident scenes.  It took several repetitions of the evidence before it finally sunk in.  Keep an open mind and see how you do.

Government Study on EMP: 90% Would Be Dead
Several Internet sites have recently been repeating a quote from The United West that in the event of an EMP our population would decrease by 90% within 12-18 months. ''Forstchen cited a 2004 study on the impact of such an assault on America. 'Testimony in that study said 90 percent, let me repeat that, 90 percent of all Americans would die within 12-18 months of an EMP attack,' he said.''

I've scoured the 2004 report and testimony he mentions documented as THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION TO ASSESS THE THREAT TO THE U.S. FROM ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE ATTACK by the COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES and found only a question by Representative Roscoe Bartlett in the hearing asking if our population might shrink by two-thirds following an EMP and a noncommittal response by Dr. Wood that the population in the late 1800s was one-tenth the size it is today.

The earliest published document I have found containing the "90% fatality rate" is page 338 of the hardcover edition of Forstchen's novel One Second After.  This same author was a speaker at the seminar the aforementioned article was written to promote.  Could it be preppers are relying on a retrospective discussion between two fictional people?  I posed that question to United West directly via email and using the contact page on their web site, but received no reply.  Since no one can provide the source data for the 90% fatality rate, the reasonable conclusion is that it does not exist.  Certainly an EMP event would be disastrous, but to simply pick an arbitrary survival rate and declare ourselves in the fortunate minority sounds equally so. 

Those on airplanes, or in hospitals, hospice, and nursing homes and others like outpatient dialysis patients would be immediate casualties, but even if we include those over 85 and everyone living in communities with populations of 2,500 or greater the rate would still only be about 82%. Since there exists no historical data on EMP deaths, we can debate indefinitely what the death toll might be.  We can only say for sure that the 90% rate attributed to the congressional hearing is not supported by the actual testimony. 

Grocery Stores Only Carry 3 Days Worth of Food
The second example is even more concrete than the first because it relies entirely on basic math and accounting principles.  You do have to learn one accounting term – Inventory turnover or inventory turns for short.  Inventory turnover is the number of times during the year that a retailer sells an amount equal to its average inventory.  A simple example that assumed beginning and ending inventory is the same would be this:

If a grocery store carried $10 Million worth (at retail) of inventory and they sell $100 Million worth a year, their inventory turnover rate is 10 (100/10) because they sold ten times their average inventory.  According the the Food Marketing Institute, the largest grocery store trade association, the average store level turn rate for grocery stores in 2010 was 14.4. This excludes any inventory at company owned distribution centers, wholesalers, and producers.  It averages beginning inventory and ending inventory at retail, and sales at individual stores.  Average days of inventory carried is easily calculated by dividing the number of days in a year by the inventory turn number (365/14.4 =  25.35).  This means the “average” store has a little over twenty-five days of inventory [with normal demand].  Stores where retail space rents are high tend to have less variety and faster turns while those in rural states like mine with few distribution centers usually carry more inventory.   

I understand why people might think there are only three days of inventory because high-profile items like produce (56.4), dairy (36.0), and meat (35.3) have higher than average inventory turnover rates. Dry goods, the kinds of foods people should be buying in an emergency, are the bulk of inventory and have a lower inventory turnover rate.  This is where those who have drank the Kool-Aid start attacking the data by mentioning nonfood items, but toilet paper flies off the shelf and even pharmacy has a turn rate of 12 so nonfood items being in the minority and not turning at significantly different rates than food items have little effect on the turn rate. 

Those trapped by prepper bias often respond by stating an obvious truth that has nothing to do with the topic, but appears to contradict the revelator.  Someone may say, for example, that WTSHTF stores will be cleaned out immediately.  That is another discussion on the effectiveness of martial law.  In no way am I advocating waiting until the last minute to stock up.  The data supports an alternate response.  It shows that contrary to the opinions of other authors, we are not going to emerge from our cocoons two-months after an event to scour the country for other survivors.  The fact there is nearly ten times as much inventory in stores as preppers want to believe is one more reason to expect the violent transition to a third world country will be a long one.  Forty years ago 16 plane crash victims survived 72 days in the desolate Andes Mountains.  They did not have all the food we have in our system.  They did not have nearly one deer for every citizen as my state does.  All they had was each other – whom they ate.

Desperation will make people who did not “wake up” and “see the writing on the wall” a lot more resourceful than preppers want to believe.         

Conclusion
Does living in a prepper free world mean I am going to go it alone?  Certainly not.  Community is important to long-term survival, but instead of meeting up with the local prepper group who has no bug out location when the city becomes uninhabitable, we will be leaving early and alone for our secluded retreat community whose location I did not disclose to any of them.  I am using the time I redeemed from migraine inducing discussions with preppers to build stronger relationships with my retreat neighbors for whom heating with wood, gardening, hunting, and animal husbandry is not something they are preparing to do, but already a part of their every day lives.   

Much more than most survivalists I know who just want to be left alone, I have found the vast majority of preppers to be well intended and it is for this reason that I wrote this critical essay.  Those who think they are ready because they are stockpiling provisions and having Internet discussions really need to “wake up” and “see the writing on the wall” that these things alone will not save them.  Survival is more about skills than stuff.  We are on the cusp of a violent transition to a third-world country which will include an equally violent redistribution of hard assets.  I little humility and critical thinking will be worth far more than that single can of beans that preppers have been telling me they will one day trade for an ounce of gold.

This is not your typical “How To… for Survival” or “Best Gear for Survival” blog article. Instead, I am asking you the reader, to read this with an open mind. This is much more than that and I believe it will be the difference between you surviving… and not.

Nothing can take away from the importance of being prepared. Nor can the necessity of training and practicing certain survival skills be trivialized. Preparedness and practice are a couple of necessities of survival. But there is more to life than just surviving. the famous psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl, summed it up best when he said, "everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." What is life, truly, if there is no enjoyment? While I do understand that standing in your stockpile room, surveying all of your supplies (the stacks of water bottles, the vast array of number 10 cans, the gun safe with all its hidden treasures, the neatly organized bug out bags, etc.) can bring a certain satisfaction, it is quickly fleeting. That is because you spent so much time and effort compiling these things and now your mind is running through the completed checklist, making sure you didn’t miss anything. Nope, it’s all done… so now what? (Cue that emptiness thing from earlier) The intangibles like relationships and the joy they bring will be just as important in a bold new world as the tangibles like your stockpile. I had the opportunity to learn this, quite humbly I might add, the hard way recently when I took my 9 and 15 year old sons on a backpack adventure for four days. My intent was to teach them practical skills while knocking the rust off of my own. But as Robert Burns said, "The best laid schemes of mice and men oft go awry".

I began our adventure 48 hours prior by utilizing my Army training and conducting PCCs (pre-combat checks) and PCIs (pre-combat inspections). Yes, I know that this was not combat, but the fundamentals of preparedness are never-the-less just as applicable. I went over every item in my boys' packs with them so that they understood what it was and how they will be utilizing it. I showed them how best to pack their gear by having repacking mine before them. At this point, I left them to repack their stuff a couple of times (so that they were comfortable with where they put their gear). The night before we left for the woods, we did one final walk-through to make sure we weren’t missing anything. As my 9 year old starts to lay out his gear, he is coming across a deck of cards and a pack of dice. I, being the prudent and pack-weight conscious man that I am, proceed to lecture him about how extra items mean extra weight that he has to carry with him everywhere and that he needs to leave them out. No soon as I get it all out of my mouth, I look over to see my 15 year old pulling out his art pad and some pencils. So, obviously, I look at him and ask, "really?” I then begin to lay on him the same lecture his brother got.  At this point (as you could imagine), my kids are less than excited about going.

Fast forwarding to us on a National Park trail the next morning, we are 45 minutes behind my super strict schedule. Frustration gets the best of me when I turn and see that my boys continue to drag their rear end. I begin to lay into them, chastising them for not staying focused and on track. Well, they let me rant for a couple of minutes before my 15 year old interrupted and said, “Dad, we are not lagging behind on purpose. We are just looking for all the things you told us to look for. See look, right here looks like the boar hoof prints. See? Right here. I think it’s a mom cuz look at all the smaller hoof prints." as you could imagine, I’m feeling a bit like an a-hole for trying to rush to find a spot to setup camp while my kids are doing exactly what I told them to do. They are taking in their environment and looking for things like game tracks, wild edibles, possible dangers. Feeling a bit like a heel, I apologize and then join in with them. While it took an extra hour and twenty minutes to get to a suitable camp, they got to experience many little things that they would have otherwise missed if they stayed with my pace.

Jumping to Night 2 of our outdoor adventure, after we have finished all of the stuff that needs to get done, we are sitting by the campfire when my 9 year old coyly asked if I would play cards with him. Without thinking, I begin to get on him for not listening to me. With a bit of sadness in his voice, he simply said, "I’m sorry dad. When you said it wasn’t a good idea to have extra weight, I thought it was worth it to bring them in case you and me had a chance to do something together. Since we were just relaxing and hanging out by the fire, I thought it would be fun." Man oh man, was I on a roll. All he wanted to do was to spend some time by the fire, enjoying a little thing that life has to offer. I promptly apologized and he began to school me in rummy for the rest of the night.

However, not to be bested...by myself, I managed to step into it again. This happened just after breakfast, the next day, when my 15 year old, sat about 20 feet away, with his back to us. Curious, I begin to approach him, when I realized that he is drawing on the art pad I told him to leave. I startled him when I forcefully asked him why he brought that stuff. I did not even give him a chance to answer before I started in about coming out to enjoy what was around us instead of drawing more cartoon characters (he is, by the way, very good with a pencil and paper). With an angry look, he held back what he really wanted to say and respectfully looked at me to say, "I am enjoying what’s around me. Until you came up... I was trying to draw a cardinal that was on that branch over the creek. See?” I look up and see a branch he is pointing to but there was no bird. Now, I am no small man. I stand 6'5", 300 pounds but after he held up his pad and I beheld a half-drawn bird, I felt no more than two inches tall. He was doing exactly what I wanted him to do (enjoying the little things), and I admonished him for it. Not only that, but I inadvertently scared away the bird which meant he would no longer have a model to draw inspiration from. It was at that moment that I realized that how much of this adventure I had missed because I was only focused on the big things: water, food, shelter, shelter, safety, etc. it was my children that showed me how much more life has to offer than simply survival.

When we got home, both of my boys were non-stop chatterboxes to their mom about all the awesome stuff they got to do. "I caught a squirrel", "I got to make the fire", "I made a fishing gig", "we saw pig tracks", “I got to put a splint on Dad’s leg”, and on and on and on, back and forth they went, bombarding my wife with snippet after snippet. I gave them fifteen minutes or so to get it all out and then told them to go get their stuff unpacked. With an exhausted look, she turned to me and said, “Wow! It sounds like they had a great time and learned a lot.". I said, "They did, but not near as much as me." She shot me a puzzled, inquisitive look and I began to explained all of my misadventures.

So remember, survival preparedness is not just years-worth supplies for every situation. Water, food, gear, and a plan is great. But It’s the little things too. You’ve got to remember the little things. It is entirely too easy to get wrapped up in your preparations for tomorrow and let today slip right through your hands. Be sure to take a minute and see the world through a child's eyes. There is soooooo much that happens at their level that we miss because they are the little things to us. You will be amazed at just how blind you’ve become.

Hi Mr. Rawles,
I’m a seasoned martial artist and self-defense instructor.  I teach Western Boxing, Jeet Kune Do (Concepts), Kali, Submission Grappling (mainly Sambo and Machado Brazilian Jiu Jitsu), and mixed martial arts (MMA. ) I regularly instruct law enforcement officers and military personnel who go into harm’s way.  I agree with much of what Legionnaire wrote, but must take exception to his statement that most fights go to the ground.  This is a myth that has been bandied about since the early days of the UFC, and the only notable support for this assertion is a “use-of-force” study conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department (specifically Sergeant John L. Sommers).  The study was conducted to review officer use of force and restraint and is not applicable to civilian self-defense.  The study was later co-opted by the Gracie marketing machine to support their franchise and was regularly misquoted.    

Having trained and interviewed numerous police officers, I can say unequivocally that police officers almost always bring suspects to the ground in order to subdue them and are rarely brought to the ground by their adversaries.  This isn’t to deny the importance of ground fighting, because it certainly is valuable, but with only limited time to train and prepare (not to mention that most people have little inclination or facility to train effectively to begin with), providing accurate data regarding physical self-defense is imperative.  Unless you’re fighting in a ring, ground fighting should always be a last resort for the simple fact that it places you in direct physical contact with a possibly armed, diseased, or insane opponent.  Keeping a fight standing and controlling the measure is vitally important for many reasons, not the least of which is to increase the likelihood and rapidity of escape.  As much as I love grappling, when it comes to real life scenarios, I have never met a seasoned professional soldier, peace officer, or pro-fighter who would countenance going to the ground when other viable options remain available. 

Sincerely, - Adam H.

The Secret Panic of European Banks

G.G. flagged this: Government officially tops $1 trillion in deficits

Reader H.L. sent: As the Euro Tumbles, Spaniards Look to Gold

Pierre M. was the first of several readers to mention this: Pig farmers quit as feed prices soar

Items from The Economatrix:

Job Growth Cools, Posing Challenge for Obama, Fed

Why a Drop in the Unemployment Rate is Tragic

Homebuilders' New Problem:  Too Few Workers

Karl G. recommended a great video with yet another use for IBC totes: Building an IBC aquaponic system, along with this instructive PDF. Karl notes: "You just have to make sure that the tank wasn't used for some nasty chemicals before making this."

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Rewarding Idiots with Democratic Totalitarianism

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I heard about an interesting new blog from a libertarian Christian philosopher who has emigrated to Chile: The Fifth Stage Blog

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Havana's blackout.

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Tom of CampingSurvival.com co-produced this instructional video: How-To Roast Green Organic Coffee Beans at Home

"Between the far away past history of the world, and that which lies near to us; in the time when the wisdom of the ancient times was dead and had passed away, and our own days of light had not yet come, there lay a great black gulf in human history, a gulf of ignorance, of superstition, of cruelty, and of wickedness. That time we call the dark or Middle Ages. Few records remain to us of that dreadful period in our world's history, and we only know of it through broken and disjointed fragments that have been handed down to us through the generations." - Howard Pyle

Today we present another two entries for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

I’m a prepper, however my situation is a little different than most.  I wanted to write an article explaining my unique challenges.
My family has a small ranch in New Mexico.  In the old days when it rained more often we ran about 100 head of cattle.  With the drought that has hit the southwest so hard, we’re down to about 50.
I know most of you are thinking, oh my goodness this guy is so lucky.  He can eat all the beef he wants when TSHTF.  The answer is yes, and no.  I had about the same initial reaction when I first started prepping.  I thought I’d just go home, to the ranch, from my day job and be safe.  I read all the books and browsed all the prepping blogs, then began to realize it wasn’t so simple.  Not only did I have to prep for myself, I had to prep for 50 head of cattle!  Plus a lot of other animals like chickens and dogs.
After I got my beans, bullets, and band aids squared away, my family and I started prepping for the cattle.  There’s little question that they are our greatest resource.  Imagine what half a beef could net us in a barter situation when everyone is starving.  Provided I can defend the livestock, and keep them happy, healthy, and alive. 

1. Water

Everything needs water.  There are dozens of articles about water on survivalblog.  One gallon per person per day seems to be the golden rule.  For a cow in 100 degree summer heat its 50 gallons a day!  Crunch the numbers and that’s around 3,000 gallons of water per day worst case.  Some days they don’t need near as much.  We’re in the high desert, and do not have surface water.  No streams, lakes, ponds, etc.  Our current water source is pumped via an AC pump from a depth of ~600ft.  Running a generator to pump the water we would need isn’t feasible.  Solar was the solution.  We ended up drilling a new well and equipping it with a solar pump that can produce about 2,500-3,000 gallons a day in the summer.  To supplement this we installed a very large and complex rain catchment system.  All in all we have ,7500 gallons of potable (people) water and 38,000 gallons of stock water that we keep on hand at any given time.  This is fed all over the place via gravity to stock troughs and solar powered booster pumps to other areas such as the house.  As you can imagine this cost a great deal of money and my income is lower middle class.  It was a matter of priority setting for us.  In a grid down situation the cattle would all die without water.  That is not acceptable.

Here’s some advice about drilling a new water well.  I did a lot of the work on the well myself to save money.  Of course the actual drilling was done by a “professional”.  When you interview your well driller be sure to ask the following question, “Are you the actual person who will drill the well?”  Make sure it’s not his cousin, son, or some neighbor down the road.  We ended up with an inexperienced guy.  Our well also proved to be extra difficult to drill, because soon after drilling started he ran into caves and basically freaked out.  This ended up costing more money.  Ask around for recommendations and don’t just go with the lowest bid.

If you choose to install the pump and pipe yourself be sure to put more check valves than you think you’ll need.  I put one every 200 feet, and it’s not enough.  Install a good brass check valve every 100 feet. Do your own research about the gauge of wire to be used.  I ran number 10 wire down to the pump at 575 feet.  To compensate for the DC voltage drop I added another solar panel to bump up the voltage instead of buying the recommend more expensive number 6 wire.  The new well is working better than I dreamed it could.  Solar water pumping is amazing.

Nutrition/Health

To feed cattle; it rains, the grass grows, and the cattle eat the grass.  Unfortunately for good healthy critters you have to add to that diet.  At the very least you must give your cattle some salt and minerals.  You’d be amazed at how much salt we use in a year.  I have food for myself stashed away, but also we’ve included several thousand pounds of bagged stock salt, and minerals.  We went with granulated bagged salt instead of blocks because it could be used for other things like salting beef. 

Sick animals need medical care too.  In my band aids section there’s plenty of the normal veterinary supplies we use on a regular basis.  Many of these items can be used for all types of animals including the two legged kind.  I did not include vaccines as once TSHTF the cattle should not be exposed to other cattle that could be carrying something nasty.  Of course that isn’t 100% certain but one must pick their battles. 

Security

If you think your retreat security causes you to lose sleep at night imagine securing seven square miles of land.  Without an army; it can’t be done.  I don’t have an army, so another solution had to be found.  The current plan is to pen the cattle up at the ranch house during the night, and then send a small patrol with them during the day to graze.  We’ve erected guard towers at the retreat and at least one of them will be manned at all times.  I hope however that our remote location is adequate to keep the golden hordes at bay, because defending our retreat properly would need a very large force.  I suppose that could be said about any location.  I’m still searching for more people to join me at the ranch, and as many of you know, it’s very difficult to find like-minded people.  I’ve been fortunate so far and have some great folks who will stay with us in the event of a disaster.  We have a doctor and a dentist as well as some ex army guys.  I don’t know what the magic number of people needed is but there’s safety in numbers.

Bartering of beef

Without the power grid, cooling and preserving raw meat will be a challenge.  Currently (if you want really good meat) after you dress out an animal you typically hang them in a cooler and let the meat age for a couple of weeks.  This allows the natural enzymes in the muscle tissue to break down some of the harder parts of the meat.  Aged beef is quite simply the best food there is!  I’m sure 99% of the population has never had it.  The fast paced production slaughter plants today don’t age meat more than a day or two.  To age and store the meat we kill we have two large deep freezes.  I’ll soon be installing a solar system to run them.  One of the freezers will be equipped with a thermostat to regulate the temperature so the freezer can be used as a cooler.  Without the solar freezers processing and selling meat during the summer will be all but impossible unless of course I try to make 600 pounds of jerky.

To supplement the beef sales we also have a milk cow and lots of chickens.  If you have a bug problem, get yourself some chickens instead of an exterminator.  You’ll be amazed at the result, plus free eggs!  Our chickens and guineas roam free, but generally lay their eggs in the hen house.

Miscellaneous

We’re going to need more flexibility than other groups when we’re hunkering down on our ranch.  For this reason a blacksmiths shop has been setup.  Not only is it fun to learn how to make metal parts with nothing but a hot fire and a hammer.  There will certainly be a need for building things.  I don’t know what those will be; otherwise I could go buy a few.  
Heat in the winter is an issue too.  Our ranch house has no central heating.  We have a large fireplace and a wood stove.  I was 19 years old before I lived in a house with a thermostat.  A wood stove is a great way to heat a space but it uses a lot of wood.  We burn between 3 and 9 cords of wood a year depending on how cold it is.  I can only imagine how much wood the folks up north are going to need.  If you live in the colder areas of the country you had better get a spare chainsaw and all the stuff needed run the heck out of it!  I’ve stashed gas for the sole purpose of hauling wood from the pasture to the house, as well as a spare chainsaw (don’t buy a cheap one).  There are no trees around our house.  That makes for great sight lines from the guard towers, but it’s a long way to haul wood for the stove.

I know the EMP group out there must see that my plans would come crumbling down in the event of an EMP.  I just pray it’s not an EMP or CME that kicks off the SHTF chain of events. 

In conclusion: next time you feel overwhelmed about your prepping remember the poor ranchers out there who are responsible for a great many more mouths to feed and water.  I envy your relatively simple preps often, but this is the lifestyle I’ve chosen to keep.  I also feel that after the collapse, if I can pull my family and herd through, ranching won’t be such a hard way to make a living as it is in our current society. 

This subject is a much overlooked area in the survival community and sorely neglected. I hope that the following synopses of this crucial topic will inspire an invigorating awakening in this area that I feel is vital to our collective success, without which our endeavor could well be doomed.

Every country and every military around the world through the ages has employed codes, ciphers and signals as well as signets et cetera for security and authentication of messages. Sending messages via couriers, as well as during times of war and peacetime to prevent their opposition from learning their secrets and their plans. They are crucial to any groups survival and successful operations especially in matters of cover and concealment which is of utmost importance to the modern prepper/survivalist who wishes to successfully maintain operational OPSEC as well as communications security (COMSEC.)

Most apropos to the survivalist is the aspect of camp security or camp entry codes in the ares of individuals securely moving in and out of camp as well as moving securely between friendly camps as well as sending and receiving light or radio signals to members of ones own camp such as in the area of LP/OPs (listening post-observation post) and in communicating with other friendly camps to coordinate movements and plans as well as advise other of enemy actions including METT-C. and size activity location unit/uniform time and equipment (SALUTE) reports. Not to mention something as basic as your challenge and passwords.

Sadly, few have planned, employed or even consider training in the area of signal security by broadcasting encoded Morse messages  which is imperative to any group's survival in hostile territory, especially given this governments stated goals as well as those it consorts with! These  transmissions must be made carefully and remote from camp and kept very short...preferably in burst format which the receiver can then electronically slows down  to decode. This is only limited by your means and available equipment. You then establish an radio telephone operator (RTO) who would manage all frequencies, call signs master CEOIs, et cetera. Each member of the group should have a specialty, much like a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) while all members training in and being proficient in basic skills while having a working knowledge of all other in the event that person is lost.)

These signals not only encompass light and radio but human-- for instance a messenger who carries  a memorized message encoded or sends them via light or hand  signals or in the form of hand gestures to form near and far signals, again for the purposes of camp entry codes. Or he or she may be carrying hidden messages. Thee can include embedded distress signals therein in the event one is captured or compromised so that those within the camp can know that there has been a compromise. These signals/signs should be relatively simple while unique to that group but have alternate but subtle variations in the event one is being forced to do harm.

More sadly, we now live in a formerly free constitutional republic. The reality is we now live in a soviet style clandestine environment where we can only speak openly and freely to our most trusted friends and family weather face to face or on the phone or on a computer.

There are many forms of code/cipher that have been employed by all the various governments and their militaries. For instance in the 19th and 20th Centuries there was the Pigpen cipher, Play Fair (used by the Australians), and the rail fence cipher. These are just a step up from simple substitution codes, and only a bit more secure--they can be broken fairly easily. When I taught my church's and survival groups codes I would give them a breakdown of a few as here and then tell them that of course the best code is the code you conceive and employ yourself. I am not going to disclose the exact nature of our code of which I made copies and distributed. In that I have devised a combination of the military's brevity codes (which are pretty much unbreakable unless the source is known or there is repetition) as well as substitution codes embedded with Morse code, possibly in different languages common to a group.

We had a lot of fun breaking into groups and I would give them brief messages to encode and decode using just the angle head flashlight....of course informing them that once you know a form of Morse you can send it in many ways including light, radio dits and dahs and finger and motions as well as written cipher in that way. You are already familiar with certain subversives who employ such "close signals" for instance the Masons who use a variety of hands signals and shakes to identify one another and their condition as well as the dizzying array of miscreant gangs who use hand signals to ident one another and their misguided loyalties.

One brief aside: it is noteworthy to mention that as well the military are using infrared tabs on their ACUs so that from afar in their night vision scopes they can discern friend and foe. Something to bear in mind!

So I will begin with the Morse code aspect of the encryption, every country has their own and their is a international code which is very close to ours. I have created Morse in a few different languages and keep them in sort of a S1 CEOI format, so that if one code or messenger is known to be or thought to be captured or compromised then you just break into the next set. (Such as Spanish or French whatever you are familiar with or not at all. Now, after mastering your Morse code skills in sending and receiving which is best accomplished by learning them in rhythm. You then break them down to 3 character codes. You might for example take a foreign language dictionary and start at the first word in its columns and start designating every word or field appropriate word if you prefer a 3 letter designation. This can be done in an English dictionary but if so you will not want to do so alphabetically as it could then easily be deciphered if you do not then combine the traits of shift code (of which there are several). E.g., If you want to start left to right as is done here and everywhere west of Israel...you can start at the beginning of the alphabet and skip say...three letters so that a becomes c. Or you could Start counting right to left as the original Bible does and shift that direction by a pre-designated number. You could choose this number by the day of the week, so if the code was sent on Sunday, and by the definition of the dictionary that is the 1st day of the week then it would be known to your group and allies to shift left by one. The shift could then or also be know to be shifted by a word or name. There is a near infinite series of alterations that a group could use to confound the enemy cryptologist (code breaker.) 

Okay, so starting again in your dictionary of choice-preferably a concise one that would easily fit in your ALICE pack or go bag but even better in your BDUs, and of course whomever you are sending or receiving from would have to have a duplicate set to decode from. If you choose in your system, you can start at the beginning starting with aaa and let's say hypothetically that the first word in your foreign language dictionary means about so aaa is the 3 letter morse code designation for about, then the next word in your dictionary would be designated aab and the next aac etc., etc.. Now obviously your names/call signs and other words particular to your group and objectives might not be in a or that dictionary....so then you would create your own addendum where you would assign all members of your group their own 3 letter designations as well as say particular weapons or names of enemies or other actions for the purposes of brevity rather than having to scroll through the dictionary to find a particular word which is peculiar to you and your groups actions. So a 6 word message might look like this:jeb ofn pje suc jeu bhe and you may transmit them together and it be known to break them up in triads as such, jebofnpjesucjeubhe and that message might mean in your code: for enemy has captured friendly forces rally3.

Now, as you see "rally3" is not one word, in fact any 3 letter brevity code can not only represent one word but a phrase or direction such as proceed north or reinforce at 1200 hrs for example. This is why brevity codes combined in morse code configured with alpha/numeric shift is so valuable a cipher.And as you see I am only giving you a pattern in which to create your own without compromising mine! Now...once you and your group establish a platform to create your own cipher you then complete what is called a CEOI or "communications electronic operating instructions" card and make copies for your people. These cards must be laminated to be made waterproof, all team leaders and above having detailed copies while the individuals only needing condensed versions.This will serve as a baseline for you to create and employ your system in such a way that the enemy even if they capture you cannot necessarily break your code. You do this as you create your own computer passwords. This is something that is familiar to your group or established but in a regimented fashion. You should then create a system in your CEOI wher all your members names/call signs are encoded as well as a basic group of commands such as camp entry/denial codes as well as protocol for how to deal with stress signals and challenge pass words, remember it is your prerogative for these codes to move left right or vice versa! Or even up and down etc.,. In that you can employ colors or animals as authentication codes for each day of the week which may change for each week of the month...be creative!

We have covered signal security some in that those codes covered mostly some visual or radio signals now we can address some simple hand signals for CLOSE friend-or-foe or identification hand signals. Now...again...we have our established signals but for purposes of OpSec I will not give my examples. But again invite you to be creative and invent your own. As I alluded earlier as the decadent groups have their hand signals (which underlie their loyalties,) so do we. Now...it is for us to again be creative and establishing some group standards but also create alternatives in the inevitable event that one of our own is compromised and provide for that in the system!  In addition to employing hand signals for signaling and identification. I notice that everyone is sorely lacking in their hand signals for moving  as a unit or units in the field. This is underestimated as a prerequisite for successful movement and maneuvering bearing noise discipline in mind. Of course there are the pretty much standard hand signals for rally on me. Halt, danger I see...but what about formations such as traveling wedge formation and moving in bounds/bounding overwatch. There are standard signals for these as well that a leader should learn, master and impart to his or her group. But then what many may overlook is ammo count. When engaged or pinned down and the enemy is trying to outmaneuver your people need to be able to effectively communicate who has how much ammo. The team leader for instance using this signal could then decide who has suppressive fire abilities while another can take  well aimed shots to end the action. For this I use an extended hand with fingers straight out and rotate  90 degrees twice indicating an ammo count. The response from members should or could be  that of standard deaf signing numbers which all members should be savvy with anyway in indicating numbers.

Distant identification which is predicated upon environmental considerations, that is, how dense or sparse the vegetation is in your area of operations (A.O.) limiting visibility. So, if visibility of your observation post listening post (LP/OP) is a maximum of 100 yards, then that range should be considered your "long range signal." and perhaps then 50 yards would be your established "close range signal range." Now, at 100 yards small details of hand or arm motion may be confused so you want large pronounced movements that are not easily confused as your "challenge" arm signals. So you may want to employ a large circular movement mimicking the hands of a clock yet distinctive and these may again be tailored to the days of the week so that if an enemy observer is watching one day or so he may not easily determine what that long range signal is and counterfeit it to gain access to your camps mid range security threshold. So...let's say your challenge signal for Tuesday is palm out and one full circle outward or clockwise to the challengers perspective and the passwords long range signal response is the left arm beginning at the upward 12 o'clock position moving to the 180 degree downward then palm to center and across the chest. Permission is then granted to proceed to the close signal where closer observation can be made to positively ident the incoming party. When the incoming party advances to the close signal range,they are instructed to halt at which time the close hand signals are exchanged. This may be as simple as a particular hand sign as the gangs and Masons are notorious for, such as the deaf hand symbol for the 4th day of the week or the phase of the moon being between 1 and 5 or even a smaller arm signal recognized by the groups in that Area of operation which of course includes distress/"I am compromised" signals in which the camp would be alerted that an attack is imminent. They are then directed to advance to be recognized and asked the verbal challenge and password. If all signals are within code parameters and given a small degree of variance for error...up to the verbal challenge....then the incoming party may enter upon authorization of the s1 intelligence officer of the group, In other words. the person responsible for devising and maintain all codes/ciphers and challenge passwords which all teams including the foragers, hunters, water gatherers and security or LP/OP teams must be drilled on for camp security!
   

The foregoing dealt with daytime signals. The same would be true of night time operations except you would want to use a subdued light source such as the common angle head flashlight with filtered lenses. A red lens is optimal, blue under certain conditions but that is mostly just for map reading. Now I have devised ways of covering the lenses so that they are half and half, that is: half the lens is red and half blue and another is half purple being a combination of red and blue and the other a red hemisphere. I provided these for my group along with a camp entry code card sort of a mini CEOI. I also created these light signal cards for camp entry codes with my particular signaling devises in mind and distributed to critical members of my group. In this way when the situation goes hot and we invariably find ourselves struggling to rally to our pre-designated points etc..  We can then safely regroup at a future point without being compromised by those whose charge it is to pick up as they say in the military police field manuals distributed to the various defense force people for instance "stragglers."  

I also created similar waterproof cards demonstrating various hand and arm signals for this purpose...I sewed an extra pocket into my uniform to accommodate this information and waterproofed it inside and out as well. If you do not have angle head flashlights such as the GI issue, you can fashion you own favorite flashlight using red taillight repair tape. The Mini-MagLites are good and you can buy tail cap switch kits for them that allow you to tap out Morse code from the butt of the light. In my large angle head as well as the smaller ones I use rechargeable batteries. The D size rechargeables are immensely lighter. I use the solar powered battery charger to recharge them.

One last note on the use of brevity codes and your challenge and passwords. You can even use your 3 character brevity codes to designate a challenge and another for your password. Be creative have fun and get going cause the balloon is going up!

JWR Adds: As a former Army ASA SIGINTer with some cryptological experience I must warn readers that the foregoing simple ciphers are no match for any modern military or government intelligence organization. They would be able to fairly easily and quickly decrypt your signals, given a sample of sufficient length. However, it should work fine if your opponents don't have any greater sophistication than the average outlaw biker gang. Something as simple as a traditional Play Fair or Four Square code would likely confound them.

Some advice: Never re-use brevity codes. Change your codes frequently. Keep transmissions short and use the minimum power to get your signal through. And remember that even if you use strong encryption, most radio transmissions can be quickly located via radio direction finding.

Dear Editor:
I am a practitioner of fasting. Having learned how it feels to go without food I feel it necessary to let others know. Hunger is a good thing, but letting hunger go too long is very bad. Let me explain how this works. Hunger and starvation are totally different. Hunger is the state that tells you that your body is not receiving food. Starvation is when your body is destroying itself to stay alive. As a geologist in the jungles of South America I had the not so pleasant experience of typhoid. Most of my time there (15 years) I was well supplied by the companies who hired me to explore. This one time the logistics failed. I went through one month of typhoid, and for anyone who wants to know the details I can provide, but the end result was starvation. I had no muscle mass, only gray skin and bone. The recovery period without exercise was two years. Internal damage remains.

You do not need typhoid to get to starvation. This letter is not to instruct you on starvation, it is how to handle hunger. As a fit man I have about liberally 15% body fat. Using fasting to clean my cells of toxins and accumulated vitamins I would need minimum three weeks of water fasting to achieve the goal. Juice fasting can do the same but failure is more likely since it takes longer.

Here's how it goes: For the first four to five days I drink only water (bottled or well-filtered water is fine) and I have fierce hunger. At the fifth day hunger stops and the body realizes that it must draw upon stored energy. So, the body enters ketosis, which is the breakdown of fat to produce energy. The process will continue without any hunger pains until a very distinct signal, that is desire for food from the mouth and throat not the stomach. If you feel hunger from the stomach you have cheated and confused your body, keep going. When you feel that mouth and throat sensation it the time to eat, but eat sparingly. There is the urge to gorge, but resist and develop your food intake that equals the time spent off food. Fruit, juices, then more solid soft foods, then hard foods. Of course this will not be possible in a scarcity environment.

I drink only water for the full three weeks or until the signal arrives. The fasting initially may be a logical decision, the end of it is is not, it is very biological. During that time I experience the full range of effects from illness to euphoria, to true hunger.

Pushing beyond the signal is the beginning of starvation. You will know at that point, all your body fat has gone, it's very visible.That body to dream of is not your friend here. As a survivalist your body fat, in moderation, is your friend and you must keep a decent store of it just in case.

Long periods of accumulation of toxins and fat soluble vitamins stored within the body will have a detrimental effect upon people during periods of stress and food shortage. When the body is pushed to fat storage utilization the toxins come out and you are sick. Under stable societal conditions this is ok. Under scarcity conditions you have a period of problem. Hang back for a bit and let the hunger pass then move forward.

Fasting is one more form of training not often discussed in SurvivalBlog. With fasting the body becomes accustomed to the initial cleaning, This cleaning is the removal of toxins the body has stored for so long. You will be ill for the first week, you will look horrible but it is okay. After that you will feel great and a wave of energy will come across you. This is the body supplying energy to your endeavors. This will only last as long as you have fat reserves to spend. Fasting removes the toxins and vitamins, but restores the vitamins as long as the toxins (smoking the most readily available toxin) is not restored. Smoking is not the only one. There are so many others. The cleansing is worth the effort if the body restores the fat and accumulates the vitamins. How do you know? You feel so much better than before.

In some cases the weight loss is permanent and some not. No matter, since the replenishment of fat to the cells is what you want prior to any crisis but without the accumulation of stored chemicals. Fasting is a short period where the body endures hunger. Experiencing hunger before a crisis is a valuable lesson. Hunger, going without food, for four days is difficult. Most people fail. But, to endure the hunger and let the body adapt has beneficial and some say enlightening effects. Hunger is not starvation. When a person feels hunger they are not starving. Starvation occurs when the body has no energy reserves.

Repeated training in fasting allows your body to learn that the current food stress is okay. The period of hunger is shortened. Again, once the feeling of throat hunger appears, eat, eat sparingly and you will come out of the hunger period cleaner, faster thinking and happier. - Wesley F.

By the way, for those who are currently experiencing addictions, this is another good way to kick the habit before the crisis, but only one habit at a time please. - Ex-Addict Faster

JWR Adds: Some words of warning: Always consult your doctor before fasting. Never fast if you suspect that you are pregnant. Never fast when you are living alone. Beware that you could have dizziness or fainting after just a few days of fasting, so never drive or operate machinery when fasting.

It pays not to panic: Hiker escapes Pine Creek fire by trekking over divide

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State Impact: Guns for growth in Idaho--Idaho aims for jobs through manufacturing arms. (Thanks to R.B.S. for the link.)

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Yet another gorgeous flying video from Ttabs: The Ground Below. This one was filmed near Craigmont, Idaho, where the Camas Prairie Plateau drops off into the Clearwater River canyon country. (My old stomping grounds.) And in case any of you missed it, check out one of his most popular videos: Flying Through the Story of Patriots - Surviving the Coming Collapse.

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Another "Made In The Redoubt" company that deserves your business: Double Diamond Halter Company, in Montana. They are an innovator in braided parachute cord Mecates. In addition to tack, they also have DVDs and books by Buck Brannaman, Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance, and Mike Major.

Smith & Wesson Posts Huge Earnings

G.G. flagged this: To Save Money, Americans Buy Expired Food at Auctions

Also from G.G.: More older workers making up labor force

More monetization is in the works: Jim Rogers and Marc Faber Agree, Bombs Away

Items from The Economatrix:

Lackluster Economy Shows Stronger Pulse

US Job Cuts Hit 20-month Low, But Layoffs Heavy Overseas

Are You Better Off?  40 Statistics That Will Absolutely Shock You!

84 Statistics Showing The Collapse Of The Middle Class Is Real

Leauxryda sent an interesting article discussing the types of weapons used by criminals with facts that support a victim stands a better chance of defending themselves rather than passively submitting.

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Reader Pierre M. sent the link to a PDF of a classic public domain book that will be of interest to homeschoolers and to anyone who studies military strategy: History Of The Conquest Of England By The Normans, by Augustin Thierry. (Translated from the French.)

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This new group meetup page looks promising: PrepperLink Groups.

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You can now hear a podcast of an interview of SurvivalBlog's Back Country Editor Matthew Stein, on Chris Martenson's Peak Prosperity.

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Yet another member of Bloomberg's "Crime Fighting" club has been put in Peerless bracelets: Trenton mayor, others arrested in corruption probe. Also arrested were Tony Mack's brother and his "close associate", Joseph A. “JoJo” Giorgianni. (Why do all politicians in New Jersey seem to have conections to guys that sound like characters from The Sopranos?) Mayor Tony Mack has had a tenure in office almost as interesting as Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick--another Bloomberg Gang anti-gunner--who is on trial for his second set of corruption charges this month. (Thanks to Donald G. for the link.)

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I found a source for an antique Schmidt Rubin M1896/11 rifle, but I'm still in need of some original cardboard and tin Schmidt Rubin 6-round stripper clips. I'm a cash buyer. I'm also willing to swap autographed copies of any of my books. Please e-mail me if you have some spares. Thanks.

"The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression." - W. E. B. Du Bois

I've noticed that despite my protestations, my upcoming book Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse is now ranked around #700 in Amazon's overall sales rank. Please stop pre-ordering, folks! Wait until its release date (September 25th), which is also our planned Book Bomb day. Thanks!

It is called Revolution. The pilot episode of the new post-power grid collapse television series is now available at the NBC web site, and on Hulu.com. The series will begin airing on September 17, 2012. It will air on Monday evenings at 10 PM in most time zones and 9 PM Central Time.
Missing a huge opportunity to instruct preparedness, self-sufficiency, and survival skills, the show skips over the first 15 years of the blackout. And like a Kevin Costner flashback, they of course portray militias as bad guys... From the little that I've seen of it, I can predict that those who carry guns will be portrayed as the Bad Guys, while those with archery gear will be the Good Guys. (It is noteworthy that the leftward-leaning mass media rarely misses an opportunity to belittle or even demonize conservatives, gun owners, Christians, advocates of secure borders, and those who hold to a moral code and traditional values.) At first glance, Revolution looks like it will be a network television "Lite" drama re-mix of familiar memes from movies like The Postman, The Patriot, The Book of Eli, The Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games, but without the edginess of a television series like Lost. One oddity is that this show mirrors the Dies the Fire sci-fi novel series by S.M. Stirling, in that an underlying premise is that the very physics of the world seem to have changed. Not only do the power grids go down, but even batteries no longer function.

The series will have plenty of the disappointments and inaccuracies that we are accustomed to with American network television, such as: sloppy gun handling, tactical ineptitude, unrealistic lighting, guns that never need to be reloaded, inexplicable coincidences, and death by various trauma but without much blood. Predictably, the distaff members of the cast seem to have discovered a secret cache of L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, and Max Factor, some 15 years into a complete societal collapse. And at night-time houses are lit with dozens of candles. Another aggravating thing about the show is typical of television screenwriting: the Good Guys leave behind a trail of useful weapons after subduing or slaying Bad Guys. I can't count the times in my life when I have urged (without any effect, of course): "Pick up the gun, you idiot!"

The show may yet surprise us and display some redeeming value. But regardless of what I (your Neanderthal Editor) think of it, the show's chances for multi-season renewal success are good, given the high "perky teenage girl with compound crossbow" quotient.

I have literally lost count of the number and different types of backpacks I have owned and tried over the years. And, to be sure, there is no one backpack that suits everyone the same. I believe backpacks are a very personal thing, and you can't select one for someone else. Everyone in my family has a different type of Bug Out Bag - always have! At one point, when I was quite a bit younger, I used a US military CFP 90 pack - and that thing could hold something like 6,500 cubic inches of stuff. Fully loaded, it was more than 60 pounds, and that wasn't counting an extreme cold weather sleeping bag - which added a lot more weight. My CFP 90 is in the closet of my office now - retired!
 
Take a look at any sporting goods store backpack section, or in any sporting goods catalog, like Cabela's or any other similar store, and you'll be overwhelmed with the number and different styles of backpacks they carry - so much so, that your head will spin. It's no easy task choosing a backpack. You have several considerations to think about - how much stuff do you want to carry? How much stuff can you carry - for any distance or length of time? Are you looking at long-term camping or bugging out? Or, are you looking at a 3-day BOB? Are you gonna carry extra clothing (always a good idea) and how much food are you going to carry? How much survival and camping gear are you taking with you? The questions are about as endless as the backpack selection is. My family and I have decided on a 3-day BOB - but we usually have more than 3-days worth of food in our BOB - and plenty of survival and live-off-the-land gear, for extended periods of time, if need be.
 
Ready Made Resources recently sent me a sample of an amazing backpack, made by Eberlestock - and if you know anything about name brand backpacks, you will readily recognize the Eberlestock name - Special Forces military guys know the name - well! Ready Made Resources sent me the "Gunslinger II" (G2) pack, and it is quite a pack, to be sure. The Gunslinger II is the hunting version of the G2M tactical pack - and be sure to check out the Ready Made Resources web site - they have a good varieties of Eberlestock backpacks to choose from. The G2M is the pack of choice for the US Navy SEALs - that says a lot about Eberlestock packs in my book. The SEALs don't use junk.
 
Originally developed from the GS05 Gunslinger pack, the Gunslinger II pack has a slightly larger gun scabbard. What's that you said, Pat? Yeah, the Gunslinger II backpack, actually has a long gun scabbard build into the pack, for carrying your favorite high-powered hunting rifle - even those with the biggest optics, can fit into this scabbard. I also tried an AR-15 and an AK-47, and they both fit (not at the same time) into the scabbard - without the magazines inserted in the rifles. The Gunslinger II scabbard is wide at the bottom, for carrying your rifle butt down, or alternatively butt up.
 
So, you don't need to pack a high-powered rifle all the time, when you're just out camping? Great, the scabbard on the G2 folds into the bottom of the pack, and is secured by a buckle. This configuration is good for not only shorter rifles, but other gear as well. You can fit a lot of extra gear into the rifle scabbard, if you're not packing a rifle. There are also side handles on the G2, that make it easy to load and unload it from your rig - nice touch. Heavy duty compression straps always allow the G2 to ride quiet and tight. How many packs don't allow you to snug things up inside, so they don't rattle or move around? Not many!
 
There are so many pockets on the G2, that you won't know what to do with 'em all. I never did manage to fill all the space on my G2 sample. To be honest, you can probably pack more gear in the G2 than you'd want to carry for any length of time or distance. The empty G2 pack weighs-in at 8.5-lbs. Yeah, it's a bit heavy empty - but you have to look at the material and construction of the pack, to really appreciate how well-made it is. The bag is totally waterproof to start with...and the 1000d Cordura Nylon material is polyurethane coated. I've never, in my life, seen a bag that was this well-made! I actually took my gunsmith magnifying goggles out, to closely examine the construction of the G2 - and I couldn't find a flaw in the material, workmanship or stitching - just that simple!! Impressed? You bet I was - never saw any packs this well-made.
 
The Gunslinger II has a sophisticated, ventilated, highly adjustable frame system - not a "hard" frame, but a "soft" frame system - you can keep hard-frame systems if you ask me - they are uncomfortable for any distance of length of time. If a pack bounces around while you're carrying it - that's not a good thing - ever! You need a pack that you can adjust to your body shape, and one that you can adjust so it fits "just" snug enough - but not too snug, or too loose, either. The G2 comes through in this respect.
 
Oh yes before I forget, there is a "butt cover" for your rifle - so you can completely enclose your long-gun from the elements - something mighty important, if you are in bad weather conditions for any length of time. There are also PALS webbing on the pack interior and exterior, to help you mount PALS designed additional packs to your G2 - I didn't see any need to attach any exterior packs to the G2 - it held more than enough gear for my taste. However, if packing an AR-15 the top pocket assembly features a handy internal organizer, with several small pockets, pen holders and a padded pocket with effectively serves equally well for packing extra AR-15 mags.
 
You aren't gonna be able to haul a Barrett .50 cal sniper rifle in the G2, but you can sure pack a full-sized high-powered hunting rifle, or some smaller .22 rifles in the carrying scabbard. And, what amazed me was that, the long gun was comfortable to carry when it was in the scabbard. I've tried a few other packs, that supposedly allowed you to slip your rifle into a scabbard that was built into it - nope!!! They didn't work very well - in short order, I could fell the rifle rubbing against my back bone - not a good thing!
 
While hunting season was still quite a way off, I did take the G2 out on a number of hikes - with a high-powered rifle in the scabbard, and a full 3-day load of food and other survival gear. The pack, with the rifle and gear weighed-in at about 35 pounds, and that's about all I want to carry these days. There isn't any room for a sleeping bag with this pack - but you pack accordingly and appropriately. I'm very fortunate, in that, I live out in the boonies - I'm in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and there are numerous logging roads and hiking trails all over the place. I only have to walk about 150-yards to the nearest closed (to traffic) logging road. I'm always taking my German Shepherds out for walks, and this afforded me the perfect opportunity to put the Gunslinger II to the test - fully loaded, and hit the gravel logging roads for a nice hike with one of my trusted companions.
 
I've had a lot of packs over the years, really cut into my shoulders in very short order, because there really wasn't any padding in the straps to protect the muscles on my shoulders. That made for a short and aching hike - no doubt about it. The G2 is well-padded, and I never once felt the pack's straps cutting into my shoulders, like so many other packs have over the years.
 
The Eberlestock line of backpacks, are available in a number of different camouflage patterns, too - and I'm sure you'll find one to suit your taste and terrain. Without a doubt, the G2 will literally give you a lifetime of service, and not fail you in any way. The workmanship and material is second to none in my humble opinion. I just don't see this pack failing you - ever! Sure, you can go to the big box stores, and find some "okay" looking packs, that won't last you through a week of camping or hiking, and they'll cut into your shoulders, and they are not very well designed or thought out, They are just plain junk, and you don't want junk when your survival depends on your gear.
 
The Gunslinger II retails for $289. Yes, it is a lot of money, but it's not a lot of money when you closely examine the pack, the design and the material and workmanship. You are getting what you pay for in this pack. And, if the G2 doesn't fit what you're looking for in a BOB, check out the other packs on the Ready Made Resources web site - they carry quite a few of the Eberlestock packs and they are very pleased with this company's products. Ready Made Resources has been around for a lot of years - they provide outstanding products for survival.
 
If I had the money I've wasted over many years, buying and testing other backpacks, I could have easily purchased several G2 packs...and none of the other packs I've tested and owned over the years can even begin to come close to the Eberlestock Gunslinger II pack. And, like I said, if this model isn't to your liking, I'm betting you'll find a model that will fit your lifestyle and survival needs at Ready Made Resources web site. If there is a better-made backpack out there, I'd like to see it. Nothing I've seen even attempts to come close to the G2 for quality materials, workmanship and design - is it any wonder, that the US Navy SEALs use Eberlestock backpacks?
 
Be sure to check out all the other survival related products that Ready Made Resources carries - and they will be happy to answer any questions you might have about their products. This is a great company to do business with.

We all benefit from the wisdom and experience of those around us. For someone with a beginning passion for a subject, a mentor is extremely valuable; and for those that have achieved a reasonable amount of competence, a respected peer can be a great sounding board for exploring issues and alternatives. For those with a general interest in self sufficiency or a specific interest in food independence, the new book from Jason Akers comes very close in replicating those relationships. His book, Hunt Gather Grow Eat: Your Guide to Food Independence, is a very readable and useful survey of self sufficiency techniques and experiences. As I was reading the book, I could picture in my mind the author sitting on my deck with me. I would say “Hey Jason, what do think about (name a subject)”—then the book responds with the author’s thoughts and personal experiences about that subject. Sounds unusual, huh; well, it was a new experience for me as well—but in a good way. I haven’t enjoyed reading a non-fiction book like this in a long time. (The book was published in 2012 by The Self-Sufficient Gardener, ISBN 1475275412.)

According to the author, the book was written for people who want to get back to the land and to pure living-- whether they have never grown anything and don’t know where to start, or for those that have “lost their way along the path”. The book provides solutions to avoid the food safety hazards using sustainable techniques and demonstrates that it is not terribly difficult to begin to implement them into ones everyday life.

The book contains sections on permaculture, food safety, hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, gardening, animal husbandry, harvesting, preservation, and diet. By far, the largest and most informative section is the chapter on gardening. There were a few minor topics absent in the book that I expected e.g.  fish farming; and some topics were discussed at an absolute beginners level e.g. hunting. The author does not claim to have firsthand experience with every subject covered; but from the style of writing and the inclusion of anecdotes, I expect that he has had experience with the great majority of them. I would hazard to guess that any omissions are a result of the author’s personal experience and a natural avoidance of talking about things that he was not knowledgeable of – a healthy habit that many could benefit from. The authors writing style is very clear and exceedingly concise. The book addresses many subjects in a direct and informal manner with little emphasis on introductions and transitions. Occasionally this abrupt shift in subject narration is somewhat distracting. There are numerous figures—primarily black and white photographs. Unfortunately, the quality of many of the photographs is inadequate to illustrate the author’s points e.g. edible plant identification is really not feasible and may not even be safe using the photographs included. The utility of the book would increase if there was an index and list of references. Although the writing is generally good, there are occasional editing and minor formatting issues. If the issues identified are corrected within a second edition, this title would be a valuable and enjoyable contribution to a self-sufficiency library.

A unique aspect of the book is its discussion of permaculture. The book begins with an overview of permaculture and its application to the books subject. Permaculturalists, in particular, should be very interested in the manner that the book’s author has integrated permaculture principles into his approach. The author points out that the permaculture community has not really addressed or included hunting and fishing, and has not stressed wild crafting within their body of practice. The book, however, does address this integration of permaculture theory and, for the lack of a better term, “country boy skills”. It seems natural for me to imagine that the author grew up in a family that practiced many of these skills as a general way of life; and that when he was introduced to permaculture, its principles and practices provided him an underling theory that was consistent with his own background and experience, and it then in turn provided a basis for extension of his adult philosophy and practice.

The author, Jason Akers, is an active, practicing homesteader. He grew up on a farm and as an adult has practiced and developed his self-sufficient skills. He has received training in permaculture design; and now hosts the Self-Sufficient Gardener Podcast.

Jason’s book has struck a great balance in providing a very healthy amount of content without becoming dry and encyclopedic--not to say that there aren’t some drawbacks to this form. Because of the breadth of coverage undertaken in the book, there are not many subjects covered in great depth. In other words, for those of us that enjoy reading in great detail about a subject; it does not replace books that cover very specific subjects. Generally, it is a survey of techniques with an emphasis on successful and practical approaches. The great value of the book is that it efficiently and naturally provides general descriptions of many practices to achieve food independence, with the very useful words of experience from someone that is practicing what he preaches.
Buy Read Learn Enjoy

Dear James,
I'm a long time SurvivalBlog reader, first time responder, and serious prepper.    This article by J.F. has some excellent information but there is a glaring omission.  In most auto immune diseases, there is an assault on your body that invokes a response by your immune system. At times, such as the case of the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918, your body gets confused by various threats and “brings out the big guns, namely a cytokine storm that effectively neutralizes the threat.  Unfortunately, this also does “collateral damage” in the form of severe oxidative stress to surrounding tissue.  
 
Vitamin D3 is well known to be an immuno-regulator, meaning it prevents a harmful over reaction of the killer T-cells sent in to take care of the problem.  Vitamin D makes your immune system work smarter, not harder.  How much dosage does a person need to properly regulate their immune system?  The key is to get your blood level of Vitamin D between 50 and 100 nanograms per milliliter based on a 25(OH)D blood test.  For most people this means taking 5,000 international units a day.  (Your typical multi vitamin has 400 units.)  Some who spend a lot of time outdoors and have certain dietary habits might need a little less than 5,000, but the blood test is the ultimate arbiter.  
 
Optimizing your vitamin D to this level has many other benefits, so we’re not talking about introducing an unnecessary risk.  It’s good for you whether or not you’re concerned about pandemics or your immune system.  And it’s quite inexpensive, normally 5 to 10 cents a day (US). 
 
For those who don’t want to take my word for it, Dr. John Cannell is arguably the leading authority on Vitamin D’s role in regulating the auto-immune system, so a google search of his name and “auto immune” will lead you to all the authoritative sources you could possibly want. (I just did it and got 668,000 articles.)  Best of luck to everyone in the coming times. - Big Blue

JWR Replies: Readers must be warned that Vitamin D is fat soluble. Unlike the water soluble vitamins, excess fat soluble vitamins are not easily excreted by the human body, and can build up to toxic levels. Consult your physician before mega-dosing any fat soluble vitamins for more than just brief periods. (Two or three days.) The acronym KADE should be memorized: Vitamins K A,D, and E are fat soluble, and special care must be used in their dosing. In contrast, the water soluble vitamins are rarely a problem, since the body can easily get rid of any more of them than are needed for complete nutrition and a sufficient immune response.

Chef's Notes:

I should mention that there are many different recipes on the Internet including ones for instant potatoes and also no potatoes--instead using barley flour.
To get a taste without the work, quite often you can find lefse some supermarkets.  Albertson's, to name one, usually has Gudrun's brand lefse in the freezer or check for a local Sons of Norway Lodge as they quite often have fund raisers where they sell homemade lefse.
Enjoy!

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Potato Recipes

Celtnet Norway (Norwegian) Recipes and Cookery

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Jim W. recommended this "must watch" interview that mentions the coming derivatives implosion: Greg Mannarino – People Are Going to Suffer on a Biblical Scale

Marc Faber - The Most Dangerous Trend Facing The World Today. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)

G.G. flagged this: Regulators close small bank in Minnesota for total of 41 US failures so far this year

Items from The Economatrix:

June Food Stamp Recipients Hit All-Time High As Three Times As Many Americans Enter Poverty Than Find Jobs

8 Reasons Why No One Should Ignore The Coming Economic Collapse

Unemployment Benefits Claims Fall 12,000

Inflation Fears, Looming Fiscal Cliff Send Gold Soaring

I'm pleased to announce that my old associate Todd Savage has officially launched www.SurvivalRetreatConsulting.com. Todd is both a former real estate agent and a Marine with a good tactical eye. He offers his on-site services for selecting and upgrading retreats in Northern Idaho, Eastern Washington, and Northwest Montana. His rates are quite affordable.

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R.B.S. sent: The power of the Sun: Now NASA reveals Video of a 500,000 mile 'solar whip' that caused an aurora on Earth

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Another Sustainable Preparedness Expo will be held on September 30, 2012 in Spokane, Washington.

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Reader Pierre M. wrote to mention that the by-subscription intelligence firm STRATFOR offers several of their reports free of charge to non-subscribers.

"I was born and raised in that religious atmosphere which for three hundred years has never varied in its extreme devotion to peace. Yet I know that peace comes in the modern world only to those nations which are adequately prepared to defend themselves. The European Allies are now paying in blood and disaster for their failure to heed plain warnings. With adequate preparedness they might have escaped attack." - Herbert Hoover. May 27, 1940, from the recently-released book, Freedom Betrayed: Herbert Hoover's Secret History of the Second World War and Its Aftermath

Today we present another entry for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Many preppers are carefully strategizing the health care needs of themselves and their families. They are doing a great job of planning for a lack of conventional medicine, by stocking up on prescription medication where possible, finding alternate sources for antibiotics, collecting over-the-counter supplies and supplements and stockpiling the necessary items for inevitable wounds, rashes, skin infections and the like.

But what about those folks with chronic illnesses, who rely upon daily medications and/or the newer injectable biologic answers to auto-immune disorders such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus? What solutions, hopefully temporary, can be offered to those with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or thyroid disorders?

This material is offered as a stop-gap for people suffering from auto-immune disorders. And people with auto-immune disorders often have secondary conditions of Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and thyroid disorders. I should know: I am a Registered Nurse and I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis.  That said, I want also to add the disclaimer that I’m NOT a physician but I’ve done my best research on how to manage these chronic conditions in the event that traditional health care is unavailable. I’ve tried some of them now - and found I’ve been able to reduce my prescription medications in half! Let me share with you what I’ve tried myself.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: We know this isn’t the wear-and-tear joint destruction of normal aging, but instead the body makes too much of an immune system response so that it attacks its own joints, vessels, and organs. An easy description appears on the Arthritis Foundation web site:

“Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a form of inflammatory arthritis and an autoimmune disease. For reasons no one fully understands, in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system – which is designed to protect our health by attacking foreign cells such as viruses and bacteria – instead attacks the body’s own tissues, specifically the synovium, a thin membrane that lines the joints. As a result of the attack, fluid builds up in the joints, causing pain in the joints and inflammation that’s systemic – meaning it can occur throughout the body.”

But here’s the good news: People with ‘ramped up’ immune systems are better able to fight infections, which will be a favorable condition in a collapse situation! Before learning about prepping, I was already concerned with the amount of ‘chemicals’ I was putting into my body to treat this condition, so began researching alternative treatments. First of all, I went on a Gluten Free, Low Glycemic Index, Anti Inflammatory Diet. (Sometimes, I cheat…) Diet modification might be difficult to do in a collapse situation and I plan to eat gluten/wheat if need be until such a time as I can return to my usual diet.  Gluten Free and Anti Inflammatory Diets have been in the news for a few years now as solutions for auto-immune diet therapy. So stocking up on Gluten Free pastas, flours and mixes, and steel-cut oats was self explanatory. But in putting aside food stores for a Low-Glycemic Index diet for a collapse situation, I have included dried sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, along with other ‘slow burning carbs’ such as brown rice instead of white rice, steel cut oats instead of flaked oats, quinoa (a grain with a low-glycemic index as well as high protein), and rice pasta, along with dried black beans as opposed to other dried beans due to the low-glycemic index of black beans.

The Low-Glycemic index diet resulted from research conducted at the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Harvard-affiliated Boston Children’s Hospital in which obesity prevention was the primary focus but study outcomes determined not every calorie is an equivalent calorie. This study found that the Low-Glycemic index diet had similar metabolic benefits to the very low-carb diet without negative effects of stress and inflammation as seen by participants consuming the very low-carb diet. As inflammation is part and parcel of auto-immune disorders, it stands to reason a Low-Glycemic index diet will (1) reduce inflammation, and (2) achieve improved metabolic use of calories in a stressful situation such as a collapse situation. Low-Glycemic index diets are beneficial for diabetics as well, and results of this study can be viewed at the Journal of American Medical Association’s journal site.

Another aspect of the Anti Inflammatory Diet includes adding ¼ teaspoon of Tumeric twice daily in your diet. Tumeric is expensive; start buying it now. You can add it to powdered eggs for a scramble or on rice/grains/beans and some people have been known to put it in a cup of warm water and drink it (though, I find it is better on foods.)  Saffron, also very expensive but get it if you can, when added to rice has been known to reduce inflammation and adds a buttery flavor to rice. Cardamom seeds, 1 teaspoon of crushed seeds per cup of water taken one to four times daily, have been shown to reduce inflammation (and has antibacterial properties.)  According to Dr. Sharol Marie Tilgner in her book, “Herbal Medicine: From the Heart of the Earth,” California Poppy infusion is used for its anti-inflammatory properties, anti-spasmodic properties, and has been used as a substitute for its cousin the Opium Poppy. California Poppy infusion ratio is one heaping fresh tablespoon per cup of water, or 1:1 fresh liquid extract 1-4 times daily. Arnica tablets, taken under the tongue, have been used as an adjunct for pain in hospice patients. All of these remedies are available in herbal specialty stores or online and do not require prescription.  If you happen to live in the Pacific Northwest there is an abundance of wild Feverfew - it’s bitter, no doubt about it, but chew a little leaf for a headache or make an infusion of 1 teaspoon dried leaves per cup of water up to four times daily for its anti-inflammatory properties. Of course, as with all herbal remedies, don’t use if you’re pregnant or might be pregnant. 

Don’t forget to put aside Sea Salt for your diet rather than regular table salt - it contains less sodium so reduces the ‘water retention’ properties of inflammatory conditions as well as fluid retention in high blood pressure conditions. Vitamin C, 1000mg daily, has been shown to reduce inflammation in blood vessels - something that occurs in auto-immune disorders and cardiovascular disease. Put some good, old Ibuprofen in your kit: My rheumatologist has me taking 600mg up to three times daily, which is a safe ‘prescription dose’ if you do not have abnormal liver lab values or liver disease. Of course, 325mg of aspirin daily helps prevent blood clotting that can cause heart attack but use caution if you are taking a prescription blood thinner or using herbal alternatives that thin the blood (such as Feverfew.)  I wish I had a distinct reference for this but this is just knowledge I’ve acquired in my career over the past 20 years and carry the knowledge with me!

People with auto-immune disorders often have secondary endocrine conditions. I have not acquired these secondary conditions yet, but my home apothecary for use in a collapse situation contains herbal medicines, and I’ve initiated some of them to stave off developing high blood pressure or Type II diabetes as described in the next paragraph.

First off: Exercise. I mean it! Keep moving, it helps level blood sugar, lower blood pressure, forestall cardiovascular disease and keeps you fit for unfortunate situations. Secondly, a cup of Green Tea steeped at least three minutes, taken at least twice a day has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels up by up to 40 points. Cinnamon, either in capsules made from the bark or in liquid extract form, has been shown to stave off Type II Diabetes. I use the capsules made of bark as my reading on Cinnamon tells me to use caution with infusions as it is easy to overdose. My herbalist friends insist it’s an alternative treatment, but my endocrinologist friends tell me it won’t work, so my philosophy on this particular item is to give it a try because in a collapse situation you may not have an alternative.

According to my herbalist friends, Hibiscus Tea, one cup steeped three to five minutes twice daily has been shown to reduce blood pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic, Niacin or Flush-Free Niacin or Niacinamide, available over the counter, has been shown to increase High Density Lipids (good cholesterol) and may help reduce cholesterol, along with a low fat diet. I suggest also taking Omega-3 Fish Oil capsules to further assist in lowering cholesterol. Many of the medications prescribed for Rheumatoid Arthritis can cause high cholesterol (it’s all about homocysteine converting to cholesterol in the liver, a pathophysiology lesson best given another day) but what we don’t know is this: If you stop taking your Rheumatoid Arthritis medication because of a collapse situation, will your cholesterol come back down? Because this isn’t known and I can’t find it in my research anywhere, I’ve stocked up on Hibiscus Tea and Omega-3 Fish Oil in the event I can no longer get my Pravastatin!

This leaves the topic of thyroid disease, typically low thyroid. It leaves you with a slowed metabolism, weight gain, fatigue, and you feel like a blob.  I don’t have thyroid disease and can’t speak to actual alternative therapies, but in my local herbal supplement/infusion shop I find infusions and capsules that are said to increase thyroid function. From a pathophysiologic standpoint, I do not understand how you resurrect a nonfunctioning gland, but I plan to add the herbal remedy to my current apothecary as I am the household medic and you never know - it can’t hurt, and it might help. If you have a thyroid disorder, do your best to stock up on prescription medication.

As with traditional, currently available medicine, people with auto-immune disorders need to balance rest with activity, and avoid stress. I do not need to remind you a collapse situation will be a stressful situation and in order to take care of others you must take care of yourself.  It is my hope these suggestions help you find ways to take care of yourself - and others -  in an unfortunate situation. Until then, take your prescription medications as directed and save the alternatives for such a time as prescription medication is unavailable. God bless!

References:

1. What is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Accessed August 23, 2012.

2. Ebbeling, C., Swain, J., Feldman, H., Wong, W., Hatchey, D., Garcia-Lago, E., and Ludwig, D. Effects of Dietary Composition on Energy Expenditure During Weight Loss Maintenance. JAMA 2012; 307(24)2627-2634. Retrieved August 23, 2012 from JAMA.

4.  Tilgner, S., Herbal Medicine: From the Heart of the Earth, Second Edition; Wise Acres, Copyright 2009.

James:
As a reformed "slip and fall" attorney, I would like to point out some issues related to dog ownership. I have defended homeowners and sued homeowners relating to dog bites.The article about the decision to pick a certain breed, Doberman Pincher, was well written and informative but I would like to add some additional points, too often overlooked, about dog ownership. For sure, I would check with my homeowner's insurance carrier to see if you have coverage for a dog bite, and secondly, if there are specific breed coverage exemptions. Often you will be unable to insure the risk of ownership for breeds such as Pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Dobermans, etc. For me ownership of a breed that cannot be inured is a deal breaker. One quick way to jeopardize your retreat and possessions is to have a dog bite victim sue you, even if the "victim" was an uninvited "guest" or even an invited visitor for that matter. A small yapping dog will alert you just as well as a Pit bull. A couple/few midsize mutts (insurers will consider Pit bull mixes the same as a full blooded Pit bull) would work well. You can't earn a living breeding mutts but there some perfectly good breed choices that can be insured. Aside from the monetary levels of liability insurance coverage, the best feature of a policy is the contractual right to have the insurer hire an attorney/law firm to defend you. This all relates to basic asset protection and if you are considering buying/breeding a dog consider the ramifications of a dog bite. Also, before you move, check out the homestead protection level of the state you may move to.

The American Redoubt states vary in degree of asset protection via homestead exemptions. I won't be moving there, but Texas is real good in this regard. Idaho $100,000, Montana $250,000, Washington $125,000, Oregon $40,000 and Wyoming $20,000 (I'm not moving to Wyoming). There is a whole lot more to this. I have been on both sides, plaintiff/defendant, and have seen people lose most of their assets. This is one of the most overlooked areas of "survival." If you want a pack of Dogo Argentinos, a great defense/offense, make sure you are not going to lose the shirt off your back. Thanks and God Bless. - Attorney John M.

Jim:
I believe Dale has hit on some great points for taking care of the dogs. But the type or breed is something I need to address, there is another breed of dog to consider, it was breed in China for one and only one purpose to be a temple guard dog of both the building and the Monks who were non-violent believers.  The Chow has a undeserved reputation of being a mean and aggressive animal, as a SPCA volunteer and a part time breeder of chows, its a false conclusion.  The chows in this country have been bred to eliminate those type of characteristics and temperament.  Having said that, a chow has a very high pack mentality as it relates to its family pack (human & critters)  I have a few over the years and those chows have been devoted to even the cats in our pack. 
 
A chow is interesting in that even though its a med to  large dog, it requires very little "space" its pad will suffice and can exist with a person very well thank you in a small apartment.  It not a high strung or hyper dog, it very seldom barks or growls, but as their nature and training intended when it does you need to investigate. They are great with small children and infants, they will want to be close and have a very social inclination. You do have to watch non-family members interacting with the pack members(your family members) even horsing around and playing will put them into attention mode.    In China as a temple guard they were very respected and with good reason, they fear nothing, including mountain lion, bear or even an automobiles, ( I lost one of my males to a late night visitor who decided to explore my fenced back yard with 3 chows on guard, my male chow was killed chasing this person out on a highway and was hit by a truck).  I acquired a small female chow from the SPCA after her owner turned her in to them because they were fearful of her because she would just stare at them and they were intimidated by it.  I had her in my life for almost 15 years and the only time she even turned into a Zombie killer was the day a neighbors male 110-pound or so Rottie strayed into our yard from its home a mile away with the intention of showing that it was the king of the hill to my 55-pound female Chow.  The neighbors were all fearful of this rottweiler as it had caused problems with the neighbors animals and the owner was proud that his dog had that reputation.   What ensued next made me a believer in a chows capability as a guard dog, the rottweiler attacked my chow and she went ballistic on that male dog, I was sure she was going to be seriously hurt or killed, but after what seemed to be minutes and before I could secure any type of a weapon the rottweiler all bloody and looked like the preverbal jigsaw puzzle with a few pieces missing, left for anywhere except where it was and into contact with this thing that ate its lunch.  

Chows have a secret weapon, which I came to understand gives it such an advantage in a fight with anything, it possesses a extremely thick double coat of long hair which in a battle protects it from a bigger an even more determined opponent, while the opponent bites nothing but hair the chow is using it massive teeth to rip and shred critters with short hair and thin hide.   The next day I received a visit from the owner of the rottweiler, who was attempting to recover some money for the vets bills from the 50 or so stitches it had incurred.  He tried to sell his story that my chows had attacked his dog, at which time I pointed out it was his dog who trespassed on my property and attacked my female chow (my other chows were with my wife at the time who was out of town)  and my chow was forced to defend herself.  He was in disbelief that my little dog had almost destroyed his  bigger and meaner Rottie, to be honest at the time I was in shock myself that she escape a major injury.   So the lesson is make your own evaluations and choose the dog(s) that fit your family and situation.  Take a look at a Chow that was breed for one thing and it does that one thing very well.  Happy trails, - John in Arizona

Canadian housing bubble goes into full mania mode – Canadian debt-to-personal income ratio near 145% while US at peak of the housing bubble was at 125%.

When Working Until 70 Isn’t Enough

Rex spotted this: Richard Russell: The World Can Fix Its Debt Problem By Raising The Value Of Gold To $10,000

The swan song of stagflation – Gas prices up over 100 percent from 2005 and incomes are stagnant. Ignoring a $16 trillion debt headline and repackaging food to hide stagnant incomes.

Items from The Economatrix:

Catherine Austin Fitts:  They're Going to Depopulate or Bankrupt the Rest of Us

Wall Street Treads Water, Stays on ECB Watch

Record 46 Million Americans on Food Stamps

Rough Road Ahead?  September is Dow's Worst Month

Signs of the times: Roadside solar panels nabbed. (Thanks to Brian M. for the link.)

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SurvivalBlog's Editor At Large Mike Williamson mentioned this amazing cartridge made by shortening and necking down 20mm Vulcan cases: 14.9mm SOP

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Several readers mentioned this essay by novelist (and former Navy SEAL) Matt Bracken: When The Music Stops – How America’s Cities May Explode In Violence. Note that Matt Bracken isn't a racist. He's a realist.

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Cause for concern: White House circulating draft of executive order on cybersecurity. (Thanks to K.A.F. for the link.)

"And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [your] house, neither bid him God speed:

For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." - 2 John 1: 6-11 (KJV)

Today we present another entry for Round 42 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner's choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A "grab bag" of preparedness gear and books from Jim's Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 42 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical "how to" skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Disclaimer: the opinion presented below is garnered from my personal experience. I make no claims of omnipotence or omniscience. As with all things, analyze this information and use your judgment to make an informed decision on how to integrate the following material into your personal preparations. When it comes down to it, learning how to avoid a fight and effectively negotiate a resolution is as (or more) important than combatives training. However, I will leave the topic of practical negotiation to others who can espouse the finer points better than I.

I was motivated to write this article after gritting my teeth for the past few evenings while reading some related postings on survivalblog. There is a lot of ego tied up with certain martial arts doctrines (as with weapons, calibers etc.), especially when people have been practicing something for many years. Brand myopia generally afflicts people who have such a vested emotional interest in whatever they're doing that they refuse to consider alternatives. My fear is that well intentioned people are recommending disciplines that are not necessarily the most efficient way to train hand-to-hand combatives. Unseasoned readers and general “noobies” to the whole self-defense/preparedness culture may be easily overwhelmed with useless information and misdirected. With all things in life, truth is found in the middle way. As a result, I'm offering my opinion, which can be best summarized as “Honor truth wherever it is found, and use what works.”

We all know that “preppers” take their physical self defense seriously. It is an essential part of being prepared and being an American. Many of us reading this have spent major time, money and effort acquiring the necessary rifles, handguns, and training to be able to competently defend ourselves and our families over a variety of distances. Many of us have learned that alertness and proper combat mindset are essential to self-defense when the need arises (alertness can help to avoid a potentially nasty confrontation in the first place, which is a good thing), and that training reflexively under pressure helps